The Presidency has confirmed that President Bola Tinubu will return to Abuja on Sunday following speculation about his whereabouts.
This comes after a national newspaper published an editorial questioning Tinubu’s absence from public view following the conclusion of his recent state visit to China where he participated in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, amongst other engagements.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, released a statement detailing the president’s recent activities.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu’s official visit to China on August 29 was followed by a brief stay in the United Kingdom.
The presidency had previously disclosed that the Nigerian leader met with King Charles III for discussions on “global and regional matters of shared priority” at the behest of the British monarch
During his time in China, President Tinubu met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Five Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Nigeria and China, covering areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, nuclear energy cooperation, and human resource development, said Onanuga.
At FOCAC, the president delivered a speech on global peace. Additional agreements were signed for infrastructure projects, including the Lagos Green rail line and a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State.
Quoting Onanuga, “Among the MOUs signed were the Cooperation Plan between Nigeria and China, which was to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation in the peaceful application of nuclear energy, and strengthening cooperation on human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.
“Others were the Memorandum of Understanding on Media Exchange and Cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority.
“Nigeria also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the 68 km Lagos Green rail line, designed to run from the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina and connect with the Blue Line.
“A memorandum of understanding for the $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project planned for Kogi State was also signed. Chart and Capstone Integrated Limited of Nigeria and Sinomach-He of China were promoters.”
After Tinubu Was Declared Missing, Presidency Reveals Return Date is first published on The Whistler Newspaper