Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria's capital Abuja following his successful diplomatic missions at two major international gatherings where he represented President Bola Tinubu.
High-Level Representation at Global Forums
The Vice President concluded his international engagements after attending the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, and subsequently traveling to Luanda, Angola for the 7th African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Summit. His departure from South Africa occurred on Sunday as he moved to complete Nigeria's diplomatic agenda across both continents.
Advocating for Africa's Voice in Global Governance
During the AU-EU Summit in Angola, Senator Shettima delivered a crucial statement on behalf of President Tinubu, amplifying Nigeria's longstanding call for Africa to secure permanent seats with veto power on the United Nations Security Council. The Nigerian delegation emphasized that comprehensive reform of the global governance system is urgently needed to reflect contemporary world realities.
The Vice President specifically addressed the European Union, challenging the bloc to co-create peace and security initiatives with African partners. He stressed that such initiatives must be grounded in African-led frameworks as the fundamental approach to achieving lasting stability throughout the continent.
Global Financial System Reforms and Ethical AI Standards
At the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, President Tinubu's representation focused on critical global economic issues. Through Vice President Shettima, Nigeria urged world leaders to develop more equitable systems for managing global financial flows and to genuinely address recurring debt crises in ways that serve all nations' interests.
During the summit's first session on Saturday, the Nigerian position highlighted that current multilateral frameworks are outdated, having been "built in an era far removed from" present challenges and no longer reflecting modern complexities.
At the third session on Sunday, Nigeria made two significant proposals:
- A global framework that benefits communities hosting critical minerals in Nigeria and across Africa, ensuring value addition at source rather than mere extraction
- The establishment of global ethical standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate worldwide development while managing potential risks
The Nigerian government reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing peace, security, and democratic governance across Africa while collaborating with the European Union to build a more stable, just, and prosperous world.
