Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Wednesday deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), standing in for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to a statement from Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima’s address is scheduled between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. New York time.
His remarks will focus on issues critical to Nigeria and the global South, including multilateralism, UN reform, climate action, and the restructuring of international financial systems.
At last year’s UNGA, President Tinubu called for Africa to be granted permanent seats on the UN Security Council — a demand now under serious consideration by the global body.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President Shettima joined world leaders at the Assembly’s opening session, where U.S. President Donald Trump delivered the keynote address.
On the sidelines, Shettima held bilateral talks with Namibian President Nandi-Ndaitwah, who praised Nigeria’s role in supporting Namibia’s development and pledged to pay an official visit to President Tinubu soon. “All the Nigerian diplomats were basically Namibians, helping in so many ways,” she said, acknowledging Nigeria’s longstanding leadership in Africa.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to closer ties, Shettima stated: “We are all Africans, and the Nigeria–Namibia relationship should be taken to the next level, beyond where it is now.”
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both nations, including Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, and Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa.
In a separate high-level engagement, Shettima met with a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, led by CEO Mark Suzman.
The Vice President thanked the Foundation for its investments in healthcare, agriculture, and financial inclusion, urging greater collaboration in education and technology.
“Our target over the next few years is to achieve annual growth rates of no less than seven percent, anchored on macroeconomic stability, productivity, and strategic investments in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and education,” Shettima said.
Education Minister Dr. Alausa also pressed for increased support in digital learning, artificial intelligence, and foundational education, stressing that education must now receive the same priority as health and nutrition.
Suzman, in response, reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s commitment to Nigeria, describing it as “one of our strongest partnerships on the African continent.”
He announced new grants with the Central Bank of Nigeria to support digital identity and financial inclusion, and pledged continued investments in human capital development.
Also present from the Gates Foundation were Rodger Voorhies, President of the Global Growth and Opportunity Division; Uche Amaonwu, Country Director for Nigeria; and Dr. Paulin Basinga, Director for Africa.
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