Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja to represent President Bola Tinubu at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled to hold from Saturday, November 22 to Sunday, November 23, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Nkwocha explained that Mr Shettima’s trip to South Africa was necessitated by Mr Tinubu’s decision to stay back in Nigeria and attend to security concerns in the country.

He said Mr Tinubu had postponed his earlier scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, to await further security briefings on the recent security incidents in Kebbi and Kwara States.

Mr Nkwocha said President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, who also serves as the current president of the G20 group, had invited his Nigerian counterpart to participate in this year’s edition.

He said the event will bring together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union and the African Union, and financial institutions, among others.

According to him, the vice-president will return to Nigeria at the end of the engagements.

Mr Tinubu had, earlier this week, cancelled his visits to South Africa and Angola following criticism that trailed his government’s handling of insecurity hours after rampaging bandits abducted 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State.

(NAN)