Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu and leading the country’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Shettima departed Abuja on September 20 after receiving President Tinubu’s mandate to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual high-level diplomatic gathering.
During the General Debate, Shettima delivered Nigeria’s national statement on behalf of the President, outlining the country’s positions on international cooperation, global governance, peace and security and development.
A major issue raised in the address was Nigeria’s call for reform of the United Nations Security Council, including permanent representation for Africa and changes that would make the institution more representative of contemporary global realities.
Nigeria also advocated fairer global financing, stronger climate support and deeper multilateral cooperation during the Vice President’s engagements in New York.
At the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, Shettima represented Tinubu in urging African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals and place greater emphasis on processing, manufacturing and value addition within the continent.
The Federal Government said the approach would help Africa translate its mineral resources into industrial development, jobs and broader economic opportunities.
Education financing was another major area of Nigeria’s participation at the global gathering, with Shettima reaffirming the government’s position that education is an important investment in productivity, human capital and national development.
The Vice President also supported the Global Partnership for Education’s $5 billion financing campaign aimed at strengthening education systems.
Beyond the formal General Assembly sessions, Shettima met with members of the Nigerian diaspora and highlighted the potential contributions of their investment, expertise and international networks to national development.
He also held engagements with the new leadership of the Economic Community of West African States Commission and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed.
The Vice President’s wider engagements focused on development financing, regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security and Nigeria’s relations with international partners.
His participation followed President Tinubu’s decision to mandate him to represent Nigeria at the 81st UN General Assembly instead of attending the gathering personally.
The 81st General Assembly’s General Debate ran from September 22 to 28 under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Shettima’s return marks the conclusion of the Nigerian delegation’s principal engagements at the New York gathering, where the government used the platform to restate its positions on reforms to global institutions and issues affecting developing countries.
Nigeria’s call for permanent African representation on the Security Council formed a central part of the country’s diplomatic message during the General Debate.
The government also used the meetings to promote greater value addition to Africa’s mineral resources, increased education financing and stronger cooperation on climate and development issues.
The Vice President’s office said the engagements were undertaken in line with Nigeria’s national interests and the administration’s broader diplomatic and economic priorities.
With Shettima now back in Nigeria, attention will return to the implementation of the administration’s domestic agenda, while the positions presented at the UN continue to form part of Nigeria’s ongoing international diplomatic engagements.