Buhari jets out to Cote d’Ivoire Sunday

President Muhammadu Buhari will go to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on Sunday to attend the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, verified this in an Abuja statement on Sunday.

Shehu stated that the conference’s goal was to discuss the future of land, including desertification, drought, degradation, rights, restoration, and the consequences for national and global economy.

He stated that the Nigerian president would join other world leaders at the Sofitel Hotel in Abidjan for the 15th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, with the subject “Land. Life. Legacy: From Scarcity to Prosperity.”

According to the presidential aide, the convention aims to take action to ensure that land, the lifeline on the planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.

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“To achieve the visionary objective of land restoration and balance, COP15 will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future of sustainable management of one of the most precious assets, land.

“The convention will explore links between land and other key development issues, which will be discussed during the high-level segment, including a Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions.

“COP 15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought.

“Accordingly, it will build on the findings of the second edition of the Global Land Outlook and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as the world steps into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” he said.

He added that drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment were among the top items on the conference agenda.

Buhari, who is also the President of the Great Green Wall in Africa, will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi.

Others are Minister of Agriculture, Mahmoud Mohammed; and Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.

Also on the president’s team to Abidjan are National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno; Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai; and Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.