Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at UNGA 81 in New York, where he pushed for UN reforms, African representation and increased development financing.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, United States.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
Shettima departed Abuja on September 20 with a mandate from Tinubu to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual gathering of world leaders, which provided a platform for discussions on global development, security and international cooperation.
During the General Debate, the Vice President delivered Nigeria’s national statement on behalf of the President, reiterating the country’s call for reforms of the United Nations Security Council, including permanent African representation.
According to Nkwocha, Nigeria also advocated fairer global financing, increased climate support and stronger multilateral cooperation to address development challenges.
The Vice President participated in the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, where he delivered Tinubu’s message urging African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals and prioritise local processing, manufacturing and value addition.
The initiative, according to the statement, is aimed at enabling African countries to derive greater economic benefits from their mineral resources.
At a high-level education financing event co-hosted by Nigeria and Italy, Shettima reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to education as a critical investment in productivity, human capital development and national prosperity.
He also expressed support for the Global Partnership for Education’s $5 billion financing campaign, which seeks to mobilise resources for education.
The Vice President further met with Nigerians living abroad, highlighting the importance of their investments, professional expertise and international networks in supporting Nigeria’s development.
Other engagements included meetings with the new leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
Nkwocha said Shettima used the engagements to advance Nigeria’s positions on development financing, regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security.
He added that the Vice President reaffirmed Tinubu’s call for a more representative and equitable global order.
Shettima’s participation in the 81st UN General Assembly formed part of Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts to strengthen international partnerships and promote reforms in global governance and financial institutions.
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