NIGERIA’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
This development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, January 14, by the Vice President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, who explained that the trip was at the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At the 2024 forum, Shettima will “join other political and business leaders across the world at the annual Forum to discuss global socio-economic and development issues.”
Apart from the plenary session, Shettima is also expected to launch the Private Sector Action Plan for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) at a special session to be co-chaired by him.
“He is also billed to hold high-level discussions with the Managing Director of IFC, Makhtar Diop, and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, among others.
“Also on the sidelines of the annual meeting, Sen. Shettima will chair a roundtable dialogue on Nigeria’s economic path. He will also attend a special session dedicated to building trust in the global energy transition programme,” the statement read.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria after participating in the week-long event.
It would be noted that Nigeria seeks to explore the advantages of the AFCTA to deepen intraAfrican-trade while taking advantage of the $3.4 billion continental market.
A political economist and a social critique, Celestine Okeke who reacted to the Vice-President’s World Economic Forum participation said there must be a commitment to strengthen trade ties between Nigeria and other countries, expressing displeasure that such similar participation have failed to bear the needed fruits.
“It is about time we begin to track the benefits of our participation in all these summits and evaluate its impacts. We are in dire economic distress as a country, and as such, participation must launch us to a new economic platform that solves our challenges,” he said.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.