Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Saturday (tomorrow) depart Abuja for São Tomé, capital of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the island nation’s 50th independence anniversary celebration.

Shettima will join other African leaders and dignitaries at the grand finale of the Golden Jubilee, which commemorates São Tomé and Príncipe’s independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975.

The celebration will feature a series of high-level engagements, military parades, cultural displays, and traditional performances reflecting the country’s heritage, resilience, and unity.

Nigeria and São Tomé enjoy longstanding bilateral ties, anchored by the Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe Joint Development Authority (NSTPJDA), which manages their shared Joint Development Zone (JDZ) in the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea.

Beyond oil and gas cooperation, Nigeria has extended technical support and humanitarian aid to São Tomé over the years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vice President is expected back in the country after the conclusion of the event.