VP Shettima Represents Nigeria at G20 Summit in Johannesburg Amid Security Concerns at Home
Vice President Kashim Shettima arrived in Johannesburg on Friday, stepping into South Africa’s brisk evening air as Nigeria’s representative to the G20 Leaders’ Summit. His aircraft taxied to a quiet halt at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, where a small Nigerian delegation waited, their faces set with the solemnity of a nation juggling diplomacy and domestic tension. Among them were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Chargé d’Affaires, Alexander Ajayi; and the Consul General, Ambassador Umar Bashir. His presence in Johannesburg follows a late change in Nigeria’s diplomatic schedule. President Bola Tinubu, who was originally billed to lead the delegation, cancelled his trip to remain in Abuja, where he is receiving security briefings after the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi and the assault on worshiper at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State. In his stead, Senator Shettima now carries Nigeria’s voice into the gathering of the world’s major economic powers. The summit, opening this Saturday and running through Sunday at the Johannesburg Expo Center, brings together leaders of the world’s twenty largest economies, representatives of the European Union and the African Union, and senior officials of global financial institutions. A subtle unease hangs around this year’s meeting, as nations wrestle with swelling debt, spiraling food prices, and the persistent whiplash of climate disasters. Under the banner “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” delegates will move through three crucial panel sessions examining global economic stability, financing for development, the mounting debt burden, climate adaptation, and the pursuit of fairer food systems. Nigerian officials say the Vice President will use each platform to press for partnership models that reflect the realities of developing nations. Beyond the main sessions, Shettima is expected to hold a string of bilateral meetings. His discussions, according to officials familiar with the itinerary, will focus on expanding economic cooperation, drawing development financing, and enhancing regional peace and security in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
| 2025-11-22 11:53:31