Shettima Returns Home After Leading Nigeria’s Charge at UNGA 81

Vice President Kashim Shettima returned to Nigeria on Monday after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and leading the country’s high-level delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Shettima left Abuja on September 20 on the President’s mandate. His week of intensive diplomacy at the annual gathering of world leaders focused on advancing Nigeria’s core priorities: reforming outdated global institutions, securing fairer economic opportunities for Africa, and deepening partnerships that support national development.

At the General Debate, the Vice President delivered President Tinubu’s national statement. Nigeria renewed its longstanding demand for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, insisting that the world of 2026 can no longer be governed by the power structures of 1945. Drawing on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, the statement called for at least two permanent seats for Africa, complete with the full rights and responsibilities of permanent membership—including the veto for as long as it remains—alongside five non-permanent seats. Nigeria also pressed for fairer access to global financing, stronger climate support for developing nations, and deeper multilateral cooperation to restore trust in international institutions.

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Beyond the plenary hall, Shettima participated in the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group. There, Nigeria urged African countries to shift from exporting raw minerals to local processing, manufacturing and value addition—an approach framed as essential for economic sovereignty and job creation on a continent rich in resources.

At a high-level education financing event co-hosted by Nigeria and Italy, the Vice President reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to education as a foundation for productivity and national prosperity. He expressed support for the Global Partnership for Education’s $5 billion financing campaign, underscoring investment in human capital as a strategic priority.

Shettima also engaged members of the Nigerian diaspora, stressing the importance of their investments, professional expertise and global networks in driving development at home.

Additional meetings with the new leadership of the ECOWAS Commission and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed focused on development financing, regional integration, economic cooperation, technology, peace and security. Throughout these engagements, the Vice President consistently advanced the Tinubu administration’s vision of a more representative and equitable international order.

His return on Monday marks the conclusion of Nigeria’s high-level participation in UNGA 81. The trip reinforced the country’s diplomatic posture on the global stage while President Tinubu remained abroad. Officials described the engagements as productive in projecting Nigeria’s interests and strengthening partnerships critical to the Renewed Hope Agenda.