•Shettima jets out
Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to join other world leaders in New Delhi, India, for the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which is billed for this weekend.
The spokesman to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement, said Nigeria is to use the summit to consolidate bilateral relations with key international partners, expand economic cooperation and advance its strategic interests.
“The engagement will provide Nigeria with another platform to strengthen partnerships in trade and investment, energy, agriculture, solid minerals, technology, and innovation, while promoting greater cooperation among countries of the Global South,” the statement said.
Shettima will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently on vacation in Europe, reports Daily Trust.
India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship is anchored on the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with deliberations expected to cover political and security cooperation, economic and financial partnerships, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
While in New Delhi, Shettima will join leaders of BRICS member and partner nations, alongside other invited dignitaries, at plenary and high-level sessions examining global economic growth, multilateral cooperation, and shared development priorities.
Shettima will also hold bilateral engagements with leaders and senior officials of participating countries, with discussions expected to focus on opportunities for deeper economic and diplomatic cooperation with Nigeria.
Nigeria, a BRICS partner country since January 2025, is opening another channel for the country to deepen South-South cooperation and engage some of the world’s emerging economies on trade, investment, development finance and reform of global governance institutions.
According to the statement, “The country’s participation is consistent with President Tinubu’s drive to strengthen the country’s international economic partnerships, attract investment and expand markets for Nigerian products, particularly in agriculture, energy, minerals and other non-oil sectors.”
The summit comes as BRICS marks 20 years since its establishment and as the grouping seeks greater practical cooperation among its expanding network of member and partner countries.
Shettima will return to Nigeria after participating at the event.
As of the time Tinubu departed the country, Shettima was in Angola for the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
The opposition had criticised the absence of both leaders in the country. However, the vice president returned to Nigeria less than 48 hours after the president’s departure.
