Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to the World Trade Organisation and the principles of multilateralism, with Vice President Kashim Shettima declaring that countries cannot achieve lasting prosperity in isolation.
Shettima made the remarks on Saturday during a meeting with WTO Director- General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.
“The world is greater than one nation. We are essentially one human family and interconnected. You cannot divorce yourself from the global community,” the Vice President said.
He pledged Nigeria’s continued support for the WTO’s efforts to strengthen international cooperation and promote a global trading system founded on partnership rather than isolation.
The Vice President also highlighted the crucial role of migration in driving development, innovation and economic growth. According to him, many of the world’s nations and cities were built not only by local populations but also by immigrants who brought new skills, ideas and enterprise.
Pointing to Nigerians living abroad, Shettima said the country’s diaspora had continued to distinguish itself through academic excellence, business success and professional achievement.
He cited a recent analysis of 2024 United States Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center, which found that 67 per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the US held at least a bachelor’s degree—the highest proportion among the major Black immigrant groups examined.
Shettima also praised Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, urging her to continue using her experience to advance global development.
As the BRICS summit continues under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the Vice President is expected to present Nigeria’s partnership and foreign-investment opportunities to leaders of the alliance.
He will also outline President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focused on economic reforms, infrastructure expansion and private- sector-led growth as pathways to creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians.