JUST IN! Buhari jets off to London for medical check-up, summit

The 78-year-old former army general will leave Abuja on Monday 26 July for London to take part in the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education 2021-2025.

After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for the earlier scheduled medical check-up which was put off in late June.

The presidency said in a statement today that Mr Buhari is expected to return to Nigeria by the second week of August 2021.

He will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd); and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

President Buhari will also hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom.

President Muhammadu Buhari
The statement reads: "The Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, will bring together Heads of State and Government as well as stakeholders and youth leaders, and provide a platform for partners to chart a way forward towards transforming education systems in partner countries, through exchange of best practices.

"It will also offer the opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledges to support GPE's work to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.

"Deliberations at the Summit will focus on: The Power of Education -A Conversation between Global Champions; Transforming Education for Girls; Financing for Impact and Recovery and; What Now? Priorities for Transforming Education in the Coming Five Years, among others."