Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a week-long diplomatic and economic tour of Guinea-Conakry and Switzerland, saying Nigeria has re-emerged as a key player in global and regional policy discussions.
Shettima arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Saturday after representing President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, and leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
According to the Vice President, the engagements highlighted Nigeria’s renewed commitment to regional cooperation in West Africa and its determination to reposition the economy in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the Guinea-Conakry visit reinforced Nigeria’s leadership role within ECOWAS and opened fresh opportunities for bilateral collaboration, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing.
From Conakry, Shettima proceeded to Switzerland, where he led Nigeria’s participation at the WEF Annual Meeting. A major highlight was the inauguration of Nigeria House Davos, the country’s first sovereign pavilion on the Davos Promenade, designed as a permanent investment hub to showcase opportunities in solid minerals, agriculture and the digital economy.
Speaking at a high-level WEF session themed “When Food Becomes Security,” the Vice President outlined Nigeria’s new national food security framework, describing agriculture as central to national security and macroeconomic stability.
He also joined former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Finance Wale Edun to promote the Accra Reset Initiative, which advocates African industrialisation driven by domestic capital and regional value chains rather than foreign aid.
On the economic outlook, Shettima told investors that Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators were improving, projecting a 4.4 per cent GDP growth in 2026 and a reduction in inflation to 12.94 per cent.
He further disclosed that Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a net exporter of refined petroleum products, driven by the Dangote Refinery, while also expanding its export of digital talent.
