0
0
Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to leave Abuja today, Wednesday, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the G77+China Leaders’ Summit in Havana, Cuba, taking place from the 15th to the 17th of September 2023.
This information was disclosed by Olusola Abiola, Director of Information at the Office of the Vice President, in an official statement released to the media.
Abiola announced that the Vice President, Mr. Shettima, will participate in the Summit alongside global leaders, such as the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres. The primary focus of the Summit will be to deliberate on development challenges affecting member countries, particularly those from the global south.
The Summit will also seek proactive solutions to these developmental issues by harnessing the power of science, technology, and innovation to foster socio-economic growth within member states.
Furthermore, Abiola highlighted that Vice President Shettima will use this opportunity to engage in bilateral meetings with other world leaders. These meetings aim to strengthen Nigeria’s trade and investment relations and align with the economic development diplomacy strategy of the Tinubu administration.
The Havana Summit is being hosted by the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, in his capacity as the Chairman of the G77 and China. The summit revolves around the theme: “Addressing Current Development Challenges: Leveraging Science, Technology, and Innovation.”
Nigeria, a founding member of the G77 group established in 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries, continues to be an active participant. This coalition has now expanded to include 134 developing nations, collectively representing 80% of the world’s population. The G77’s primary objectives are to advance the collective economic interests of its member states and bolster their joint negotiating capacity within the United Nations.
Accompanying the Vice President on this important trip are key members of the Nigerian delegation, including the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Lamuwa, among others.
