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Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to deliver a national statement at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
The address, according to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, is scheduled between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. New York time with multilateralism, UN reform, climate action, international finance restructuring, amongst others, are top items on the agenda.
The vice president’s speech builds on President Tinubu’s previous call for African nations to be given permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
Bilateral Talks and Investment Drives
While at the UNGA, Vice President Shettima held a bilateral meeting with Namibian President Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The Namibian leader, who praised Nigerian diplomats’ contributions to her country, announced plans for an official visit to Nigeria to deepen ties.
In a separate meeting, Shettima met with a delegation from the Gates Foundation, led by CEO Mark Suzman. The vice president thanked the foundation for its support in healthcare and agriculture and appealed for increased investment, especially in education.
He highlighted Nigeria’s goal of achieving a 7% annual growth rate and emphasised the importance of investment in education and technology.
In response, CEO Suzman pledged the foundation’s continued support and noted that Nigeria is already one of its strongest partners on the continent.
