Nigeria has called for fiscal discipline, institutional accountability, reform, and the timely implementation of audit recommendations across the African Union (AU) organs.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made the call in a statement yesterday by the spokesperson of the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa. He made the call as the Vice President Kashim Shettima departed from Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The statement was based on the minister’s report of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) delivered at the opening of the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to institutional reform, principled multilateral cooperation, and a stronger, more accountable African Union.

According to him, expanding personnel numbers without measurable improvements in output risks weakening institutional efficiency.

He expressed concern over discrepancies in financial records, violations of procurement and contracting rules, and a low rate of loan recovery and advance payments.

Tuggar urged the council to adopt a clear timeline for the full implementation of all outstanding audit recommendations without exception.

On multilateral engagement, he said Nigeria supported the application of the Banjul Formula in forthcoming Africa–India and Africa–Türkiye partnerships, while underscoring the importance of coordinated continental positions.

The minister highlighted the situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees, and vulnerable populations, while calling for greater attention to the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.

Meanwhile, the minister cautioned against third-country arrangements that externalised migrant processing, noting that such frameworks risked undermining the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the AU’s efforts to end statelessness.

In Addis Ababa, Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2026 African Union (AU) Summit.

The summit, themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” is expected to centre on continental strategies for sustainable water resource management, improved sanitation infrastructure and the broader development objectives outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063 blueprint.

While in Addis Ababa, the Vice President is scheduled to participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government and the 30th General Assembly, slated for February 14 and 15, 2026.

On the sidelines of the summit, Shettima will attend high-level side events and hold bilateral meetings with political and business leaders, with discussions expected to focus on deepening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties, economic cooperation and strategic partnerships across Africa.

He is accompanied by cabinet ministers and other senior government officials and is expected to return to the country at the end of his official engagements.