Nigeria will be represented at the inauguration of Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara by VP Kashim Shettima, who departed Abuja on Sunday for Abidjan.

The vice president’s trip follows the formal invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to join other global and African leaders at the ceremony, which will take place on Monday December 8 2025 at the Presidential Palace. President Tinubu assigned VP Shettima to attend on his behalf.

Ouattara is returning for another term after winning the presidential election held on October 25 2025. His new mandate comes as Côte d’Ivoire continues to strengthen relations with Nigeria, one of its closest allies in West Africa. Both countries work together on regional peace efforts and economic integration and maintain long standing ties through ECOWAS and several bilateral arrangements covering security cooperation, trade expansion and joint development programs.

VP Shettima is travelling with senior Nigerian officials including Omar Aliyu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Hon Usman Zannah of the House of Representatives.

He is scheduled to return to Nigeria after the inauguration events conclude.