President Bola Tinubu touched down in Abu Dhabi Sunday night, touching wheels at Zayed International Airport's presidential wing at 11:30pm local time for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, a powerhouse forum packing world leaders hashing energy transitions, climate cash, and green growth blueprints. Spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the UAE hop straight from European powwows with Rwanda's Kagame and France's Macron, greeted by UAE Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, Ambassador Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, and Nigerian heavyweights like Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar plus Budget boss Atiku Bagudu at the hotel drop.
The week-long bash, themed 'The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go,' spotlights ambition-to-action bridges across innovation, finance, and human capital, with Tinubu eyeing Nigeria's slot in clean energy deals, climate resilience pacts, and investment hooks aligning Renewed Hope with global green shifts. Ministers Jumoke Oduwole (Industry) and NIA DG Mohammed Mohammed rolled red carpet, signaling Abuja's push to snag partnerships amid domestic heat from Obi's "Where's the President?" barbs over insecurity blackouts and Katsina wedding bloodbaths. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's personal invite underscores Naija's rising stakes in Gulf sustainability plays, from hydrogen hubs to food security nets.
Tinubu's camp frames the trip as economic lifelines post-2025 oil dips, but streets grumble leadership optics clash with bandit swaps and Rivers probes back home. ADSW packs IRENA meets, Zayed Prize gongs, and youth forums – Nigeria pitches big on solar scale-ups and desertification dodges. Naija watches from afar, betting summit swag translates to naira relief or stays jet-set photo ops. President rolls sleeves in desert sands, Abuja holds pattern.