Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, where he pushed Nigeria’s quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
The talks, held on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, also covered climate change, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. Shettima urged the UN to give Nigeria greater support to achieve its global goals.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar said Guterres welcomed Nigeria’s determination to secure a permanent position on the Council. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, added that the UN chief praised Nigeria’s progress in artificial intelligence, especially its new multilingual and multimodal AI model, and encouraged the country to help other African nations benefit from the technology.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, highlighted poverty reduction initiatives, including a social register of 18.9 million households and cash transfers reaching 8.1 million people. While noting that UN funding cuts had limited humanitarian assistance, he assured that Nigeria was filling the gap. Guterres promised continued UN support to strengthen the country’s efforts.
Earlier, Shettima met with UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, with both sides agreeing to expand cooperation in trade, defence, and migration. At a Global Leadership Council meeting at UNICEF headquarters, the Vice President outlined Nigeria’s digital economy drive and the government’s commitment to youth and women empowerment.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the UNGA, Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s call for sweeping UN reforms, warning the organisation risks losing relevance if it fails to adapt. He decried ongoing human suffering in conflict areas and said Nigeria’s economic reforms present a model for other developing countries.
