Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Nigeria renewed its call for reforms to global governance and financial systems.
Shettima led Nigeria’s delegation to the assembly after departing Abuja on September 20. During the General Debate, he delivered Tinubu’s national statement, calling for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council and a more equitable global governance structure.
Nigeria also advocated reforms to the international financial system, increased climate financing and stronger multilateral cooperation to address development and security challenges facing developing countries. Shettima pushed these positions through several diplomatic engagements during the assembly.
At a high-level meeting of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, Shettima delivered Tinubu’s call for African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals. The President advocated greater local processing, refining and manufacturing to create jobs, strengthen industries and retain more value from the continent’s mineral resources.
Shettima also represented Nigeria at an education financing event co-hosted by Nigeria and Italy, where the government backed the Global Partnership for Education’s $5bn financing campaign. He reiterated the administration’s position that education investment was important to human capital development and long-term economic growth.
The Vice President met Nigerians in the Diaspora and encouraged them to contribute investment, expertise and international networks to national development. He also held engagements with the leadership of the ECOWAS Commission and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, alongside discussions on regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security.
Shettima’s return was announced on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha. His UNGA assignment took place while Tinubu was on a working vacation in Europe, with the Presidency maintaining that the President continued to direct affairs of state and delegated senior officials to represent him at official engagements.
