Odumegwu-Ojukwu Arrives Luanda for 21st AU Extraordinary Summit
Oru Leonard
LUANDA, Angola — August 27, 2026: Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has arrived in Luanda, Angola, ahead of the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).
The high-level summit, scheduled for August 29–30, will focus on “Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa,” as African leaders intensify efforts to address the continent’s growing peace and security challenges.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu arrived at the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto Angola International Airport on Tuesday evening and was received by Ambassador Matias Pires of Angola’s Ministry of External Relations.
She was also welcomed by officials of the Nigerian Mission in Angola, led by the Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Ambassador Maxy Ogbede. Others included the Defence Attaché, Navy Captain Mohammed Adamu; Head of the Consular Section, Dr. Maxwell Anu-Okeke; and other members of the mission.
The Minister is expected to receive Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday. Shettima will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the AU meeting.
While in Luanda, Odumegwu-Ojukwu is also expected to undertake a series of bilateral engagements, interact with staff of the Nigerian Embassy and meet with members of the Nigerian community in Angola.
The 21st Extraordinary Session will be preceded by the 26th Extraordinary Session of the AU Executive Council.
The summit comes against the backdrop of persistent political, socioeconomic, environmental, identity-related and security challenges confronting several parts of Africa.
Although the continent has recorded progress through frameworks such as the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA), the AU continues to face the challenge of adapting its conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms to emerging threats.
The 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in February 2025, had stressed the need to strengthen Africa’s peace, security and governance mechanisms in response to changing realities.
Similarly, t
he AU Peace and Security Council, under Angola’s chairmanship, reaffirmed in September 2025 the need to revitalise conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms, with greater emphasis on addressing the structural causes of conflicts.
The Luanda summit is therefore expected to provide African leaders with an opportunity for strategic reflection on preventive diplomacy, inclusive governance and stronger coordination between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs).
The ultimate objective is to advance African-led approaches capable of delivering sustainable peace, stability and development across the continent.
