Vice President Kashim Shettima’s planned trip to represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa has been cancelled following damage to his aircraft during a stopover at JFK International Airport in New York. According to a statement from the Presidency, a foreign object struck the cockpit windscreen, making it unsafe for the vice president to continue his journey.
The incident occurred while Shettima was en route to the summit on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who had requested his presence at the gathering of Commonwealth leaders. In light of the unforeseen situation, President Tinubu has appointed a ministerial delegation, led by the Minister of the Environment, Balarabe Lawal, to represent Nigeria at the event.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President shared details of the incident in a statement titled, “Cockpit Windscreen of VP Shettima’s Plane Damaged at JFK Airport; Ministerial Delegation to Represent Nigeria at Samoa Commonwealth Summit.” Onanuga explained that repair efforts for the damaged aircraft were underway.
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The ministerial delegation, headed by Lawal, is set to engage in the ongoing summit in Apia, Samoa, which began on October 21 and is scheduled to conclude on October 26. The theme of this year’s CHOGM, “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth,” emphasizes resilience, connectivity, and digital transformation across the 56 Commonwealth member nations. Leaders at the summit are also expected to elect and appoint the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.
This incident marks the second time Vice President Shettima has had to cancel a trip due to aircraft issues. Earlier this year, he was en route to the US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas but returned to Nigeria after technical difficulties with the plane.
