Osinbajo to represent Nigeria at Sierra Leone’s independence event

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Tuesday depart Abuja for Freetown to represent Nigeria at Sierra Leone’s 6oth Independence celebration.

Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

Osinbajo will be joining several other heads of state and government from Africa and beyond who are expected to converge on Freetown, Sierra Leone, for the event.

Historically, both Nigeria and Sierra Leone have shared  cordial relations at least right from colonial times.

The relationship has continued and evidenced in the socio-economic, technical, and security cooperation over the years.

The vice president will be accompanied on the trip by the Foreign Affairs Minister of State, Amb. Zubairu Dada, among others.

He is expected back in Abuja later on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sierra Leone achieved independence from the UK on April 27, 1961, and Milton Margai became the country’s first Prime Minister.

Sierra Leone held its first general election as an independent nation on May 27, 1962.

Siaka Stevens was democratically elected Prime Minister in 1967.