TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Nigeria on Sunday to attend the G7 Summit scheduled to take place in Bavaria, Germany, between June 7 and June 8.

The summit would be taking place at a time when organised demonstration is holding in the town.

About 1,000 protesters are currently gathered with tents and sleeping bags at a 3,000-square-metre camp in an open field surrounding Bavaria to demand that the G7 leaders take action on the threat of global warming and fallout from globalisation.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who had earlier extended an invitation to Buhari, will preside over the summit.

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, described the invitation as a clear indication of the international community’s willingness to cooperate with the new government of Nigeria.

Shehu explained that Buhari would not be participating in the main meetings, since Nigeria is not a member of the G7 group.

“He is in a group of seven other heads of state who were called in as guests. He will equally be holding key side meetings with some of the seven heads of state who will be convened at the summit,” Shehu said in a statement.

“The international community is obviously acknowledging Nigeria’s significant role in global affairs, especially with the recent change in government.”