Tinubu to attend Benin Republic independence anniversary on Tuesday

President Bola Tinubu will on Tuesday depart Abuja to attend the 63rd independence anniversary of the Republic of Benin.

Dele Alake, Tinubu’s special adviser on special duties, communications and strategy, made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

Benin gained independence from France on August 1, 1960 — two months before Nigeria.

According to the statement, Tinubu will attend Benin’s anniversary as the special guest of honour.

In June while attending a summit in Paris, France, Tinubu met with President Patrice Talon of Benin.

The two leaders also met at the 63rd ordinary session of the authority of heads of state and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Talon has also met with Tinubu, who is the ECOWAS chairman, at the state house in Abuja, to brief the Nigerian president on the security situation in West Africa.

TheCable reported that Talon was deployed on an emergency mission by ECOWAS to Niger Republic shortly after his meeting with Tinubu over the military coup in the country.

The statement added that Tinubu had also drawn the attention of the Beninese president to the need to review and strengthen cultural, trade and economic relations between the two countries during the meeting.

Issues of joint border patrols by customs officers and harmonising regulations on the frontlines were also discussed between the two presidents.

Tinubu will be accompanied on the one-day visit by his personal aides and six governors, who, according to the statement, were invited by Talon.

The six governors are Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, Nasir Idris of Kebbi, and Mohammed Bago of Niger.