Vice-President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after attending the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In a statement released by the Vice-President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, on Friday, Shettima, who departed Abuja on 19 January, co-chaired a forum on “Turning Digital Trade into a Catalyst for Growth in Africa” at the Pischa Congress Centre. He also participated as a panellist in a dialogue focused on “Global Risks 2025”.
The statement added that during the panel session, Shettima stressed that relying on foreign aid to solve economic challenges in the Global South is unsustainable. He highlighted the need to invest in education, gender empowerment, and innovation to re-engineer African societies.
Meanwhile, at another forum, Shettima assured participants of Nigeria’s commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“He reaffirmed the nation’s resolve to leverage digital trade as a tool for economic transformation, projecting Africa’s potential to achieve a $29 trillion economy by 2050,” the statement reads.
Nkwocha said Shettima also held bilateral meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Botswana President Duma Boko to discuss strengthening intra-African relations.
“Similarly, Shettima engaged in talks with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende,” he added
The discussions centred on collaborative efforts to address Africa’s challenges, including energy security, food crises, and ecological threats.”
At the forum, the Vice-President stated that Nigeria is now on a path to sustained economic growth.
(PUNCH)