Cynthia Ezegwu
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has assured Nigerians in the diaspora of their inclusion in the policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with a view to positioning Nigeria in its rightful place among the comity of nations.
Shettima gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the Nigerian community in the United States on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The Vice-President urged Nigerians abroad to remain confident in their home country, stressing that Nigeria was on the right path with the reforms being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Each one of you has value addition capabilities in your own way, and your experience is not something you can buy in the market. Continue to believe in Nigeria. Nigeria is on the right track. In the fullness of time, we will occupy our rightful place in the comity of nations,” he said.
Shettima highlighted the administration’s economic achievements, including foreign reserves crossing the $40 billion mark, rising revenue for sub-national governments, and unprecedented infrastructural investments nationwide. He also cited initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as part of the government’s focus on investing in youth and students.
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also addressed the gathering, noting that diaspora issues were receiving greater attention under the Tinubu administration. She pointed to reforms that have made it easier to obtain passports and access non-resident Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), alongside new investment opportunities in Nigeria.
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Several Nigerians excelling abroad pledged to invest in sectors such as mining, healthcare, artificial intelligence, fintech, the creative industry, and agriculture. Among those who spoke were Amazon AI Engineer Adebimpe Daniels, healthcare specialist Saratu Garba, and Mr. Idoni Matthew.
Shettima, who represented President Tinubu at UNGA 80, delivered Nigeria’s national statement, where he called for UN reforms, a permanent seat for Nigeria on the Security Council, greater African control of its $700 billion mineral wealth, and stronger digital inclusion initiatives.
He departed New York for Germany on Sunday for strategic meetings with officials of Deutsche Bank.