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) in New York, United States.
The Vice President had departed Abuja on September 20 with the mandate of President Tinubu to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual global event.
According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, during the visit, VP Shettima delivered President Tinubu’s National Statement at the General Debate, where Nigeria renewed its call for reform of the UN Security Council, demanding permanent African representation, fairer global financing, stronger climate support and deeper multilateral cooperation.
He also participated in the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, where President Tinubu urged African countries to move beyond raw mineral exports towards processing, manufacturing and value addition.
At the high-level education financing event hosted by Nigeria and Italy, Senator Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to education as a critical investment in productivity, human capital and national prosperity, while supporting the Global Partnership for Education’s $5 billion financing campaign.
Shettima also met with Nigerians in the Diaspora, stressing the importance of their investment, expertise and networks to national development.
Other major engagements included meetings with the new leadership of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
Across the meetings, the Vice President advanced Nigeria’s positions on development financing, regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security, and reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for a more representative and equitable global order.
With the Vice President now back in Nigeria, the Federal Government is expected to continue following up on the diplomatic, economic and development issues raised during the General Assembly.
The Government is also expected to sustain engagements with international partners on Nigeria’s priorities, particularly development financing, investment, education, climate support, technology, regional integration and reform of global institutions.
The Vice President’s participation at the 81st United Nations General Assembly therefore provided Nigeria with a platform to articulate its positions on issues ranging from Security Council reform and African representation to mineral beneficiation, education financing, and regional cooperation.
The Vice President’s return marks the conclusion of Nigeria’s high-level participation in this year’s UNGA, where the government sought to advance its stated interests while strengthening engagement with international partners and reaffirming its call for more representative and equitable global order.
-9News Nigeria.
