Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday joined other world leaders for the openning session of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, where the American President Donald Trump delivered a keynote address formally welcoming delegates.
The Vice President who is representing President Bola Tinubu at the global event is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement on Wednesday between 3:00pm and 9:00pm American time with the nation’s position centered on issues such as Climate action, multilateralism, UN reforms, and International finance restructure.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Vice President Stanley Nkwocha in a statement said, Shertima played host to the President of Namibia, Nandi-Ndaitbia on the sidelines where both leaders engaged in bilateral talks.
He said that the Namibian leader thereafter announced her planned official visit to Nigeria for a meeting with President Tinubu.
The Namibian leader, who assumed the presidency on March 21, 2025, praised Nigerian diplomats for their invaluable contributions to her government and country in so many ways.
“All the Nigerian diplomats were basically Namibians, helping in so many ways,” she stated, acknowledging Nigeria’s leadership role among African member states.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said she found it appropriate to leverage the UNGA opportunity to meet with Vice President Shettima, promising: “I will still find time to come physically and introduce myself to the President.”
Vice President Shettima, in response, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Namibia, saying, “We are all Africans, and the Nigeria–Namibia relationship should be taken to the next level, beyond where it is now.”
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both countries, including Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; and Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.
In a separate high-level session, Vice President Shettima met with a delegation from the Gates Foundation led by CEO Mark Suzman. He thanked the Foundation for its support in healthcare, agriculture, and financial inclusion, while calling for expanded investment in Nigeria.
“In the Gates Foundation, we have a partner that we trust and believe in. If all high-net-worth individuals made even half the investment Bill Gates has made, the world would be a better place. Kindly convey the highest regards of my boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to Mr Gates,” VP Shettima said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s growth ambitions, the Vice President added: “Our target over the next few years is to achieve annual growth rates of no less than seven per cent, anchored on macroeconomic stability, improved productivity, and strategic investment in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and education.”
Minister of Education, Dr Alausa, also appealed for greater Gates Foundation support in education, especially in the areas of technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
“What I want to put on the table to the Gates Foundation is increased investment in education. I have met with your representatives in Africa, and they indicated that the initial focus over the years had been on child nutrition but not education. Now I think there is more focus on education, so I am seeking enhanced support in that area to bolster our foundational education. We don’t have adequate support at all,” the minister said.
Responding, CEO Suzman pledged enhanced investment in human capital development, education, and health, noting the foundation’s significant progress in digital identity and digital financial inclusion in Nigeria.
He commended the strong commitment of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, stating: “Nigeria is really one of our strongest partnerships on the African continent, and I’m looking forward to hearing from you about where and how we might be more helpful while assuring you of our continued support.”
“We just signed new grants with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support related initiatives, and we are very encouraged by your broader efforts,” Suzman added.
Also present from the Gates Foundation were Mr Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth and Opportunity Division; Mr Uche Amaonwu, Country Director, Nigeria Office; and Dr Paulin Basinga, Director for Africa.
Vice President Shttima had also represented President Tinubu at the last UNGA where he called for Africa to be allocated permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council, a push which is now being considered by the global organization.
