VP Shettima returns from UNGA, advocates for UN reform and African mineral processing
Vice President Kashim Shettima returned to Nigeria on September 28, 2026, after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the visit, Shettima delivered Tinubu's National Statement where Nigeria renewed its call for UN Security Council reform 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 toward processing, manufacturing, and value addition. At the high-level education financing event co-hosted by Nigeria and Italy, 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.
The vice president 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 and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed. Across these meetings, Shettima advanced Nigeria's positions on development financing, regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security, while reaffirming President Tinubu's call for a more representative and equitable global order.
How might these UNGA outcomes influence Nigeria's ability to secure favorable terms in international loans, attract technology partnerships for mineral processing, and leverage diaspora skills for national development projects?