President Bola Tinubu has shelved his scheduled visits to South Africa and Angola, opting instead to have Vice President Kashim Shettima represent Nigeria at both international engagements, senior State House sources confirmed on Friday.
According to officials aware of the last-minute adjustment, Shettima was already en route to South Africa on Friday to stand in for the President at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
“It is a recent arrangement. They just finalised it this afternoon,” one source said.
After the G20 meeting, the Vice President is expected to head to Angola for the AU–EU Summit.
Another senior official, also speaking anonymously, said the President’s decision was informed by prevailing domestic security challenges.
“The trip was postponed before. But looking at the situation of things, it is better he remains in the country to deal with the issues,” the official explained.
The development comes amid a string of security breaches, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State; an attack on worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State; and the kidnapping of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna, Niger State.
Tinubu is expected to remain in Abuja to receive briefings from security chiefs and oversee ongoing rescue and stabilisation operations. He had earlier directed security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue missions while strengthening preventive deployments across vulnerable communities.
