Vice-President Kashim Shettima, acting as the envoy of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, has embarked on a pivotal diplomatic mission to the G77+China leaders’ summit in Havana, Cuba.
The highly anticipated summit is scheduled to take place from September 15 to 17, 2023, and is set to address pressing global development issues.
The journey of Vice-President Shettima was confirmed in an official statement issued by Olusola Abiola, the Director of Information at the Vice President’s office.
In his role as Nigeria’s representative, Shettima will stand alongside prominent world leaders, including Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to engage in deliberations focused on development challenges primarily faced by countries in the global south.
The summit’s overarching goal is to explore proactive strategies for addressing these challenges, with a particular emphasis on leveraging science, technology, and innovation to drive socio-economic growth in member states. This represents a concerted effort by the G77+China to harness the potential of these critical sectors to foster development.
On the sidelines of the summit, Vice-President Shettima is expected to participate in bilateral meetings with leaders from other nations. These meetings will be geared towards promoting Nigeria’s trade and investment relations, aligning with the economic development diplomacy championed by the Tinubu administration.
“The Havana Summit is being hosted by the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, in his capacity as Chairman of the G77 and China,” stated the official release, “and it will focus on the theme of ‘Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation.'”
Nigeria’s participation in the G77+China group is rooted in its status as a founding member of this alliance, which was established in 1964 by seventy-seven developing nations.
The G77+China coalition has since grown to include 134 developing countries, representing a staggering 80% of the world’s population. The primary objectives of this coalition are to promote the collective economic interests of its member nations and bolster their collective negotiating capacity within the United Nations.
Vice-President Shettima’s delegation includes prominent figures from the Nigerian government, including Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology; and Adamu Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These key officials are poised to support Shettima’s mission in advancing Nigeria’s global standing and forging new alliances to bolster the nation’s economic growth.
As Vice-President Shettima takes his place among leaders from across the globe at the G77+China summit, Nigeria anticipates a fruitful exchange of ideas and strategies aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges confronting the world’s developing nations.
The nation looks forward to leveraging this platform to promote its interests and engage in meaningful partnerships that will contribute to its ongoing development efforts.
