AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

** Says Africa Has Indeed Woken Up

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said serious investors can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s growing investment climate to tap from the limitless opportunities in the country and the African continent.

VP Shettima spoke on Tuesday during a forum titled, “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets,” at the ongoing annual meeting of the 2025 World Economic Forum ( WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

At the session which was co-chaired by Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of World Economic Forum, and chaired by Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President, African Development Bank (AFDB) group, discussions focused on the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Roadmap for Africa.

He told the forum that the tales they hear about the country and the African continent as a whole are really not that of doom and gloom as being painted by doomsday proponents.

The Vice President noted that Nigeria is poised to invade the global business platform with modernisation and robust investments, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a seasoned chartered accountant, is working to make the nation an investment destination in Africa.

“For 20 years, I have been in the Nigerian banking industry. I was a general manager in Nigeria’s largest bank, Zenith Bank. I grew up in that ecosystem. The President himself is a seasoned chartered accountant. So, I believe that Nigeria is ready for business, Nigeria is ready to embrace the path of modernization with very robust investment,” he declared.

Acknowledging however that the nation may still have certain deficits, VP Shettima pointed out that Nigeria is looking up to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to address the challenges.

He stated: “We are having a huge deficit but we are looking forward to the AfCFTA and that involves investing in infrastructure for instance the coastal highway from Calabar to Lagos is the largest single investment in Africa. We are building corridors to the North.

“We have the West African gas pipeline. We are thinking ahead of time akin to the Belt and Road Initiative. We are partnering with 14 African countries to invest in gas infrastructure down to Morocco.”

Senator Shettima insisted that Africa is not all about tales of doom and gloom, maintaining that the continent has woken up from its slumber.

Likening Napoleon Bonaparte’s opinion about China to the case of Africa, the VP said, “So, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the stories you hear about Africa are not that of doom and gloom. From DRC to Somalia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire, Africa is waking up from its slumber.

“I remember what Napoleon Bonaparte said about China, he said “China is a sleeping giant but when she wakes up, she will rattle the world”. So, Africa has woken up and we will take our rightful place in the comity of nations because as I said earlier, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa. We are the youngest continent.”

Also drawing a leaf from the late Nigerian head of state, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, VP Shettima said Africa has come of age and can no longer be treated like an adolescent.

“I want to quote Murtala Mohammed – a Nigerian military leader at an extraordinary summit of the OAU, about 50 years ago. He said “Africa has come of age, it is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power, and it shall no longer take orders from any country, however powerful,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, in a show of African leadership collaboration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Shettima, on Tuesday joined South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, as special guest of honor at a high-level briefing, following his earlier participation in the Africa Investment Forum.

….VP Shettima, Botswana’s President Hold Talks

• Meet WTO DG, Okonjo – Iweala

Similarly, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the President of Botswana, Duma Boko, on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting where areas of mutual interest between both countries were discussed.

The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, is part of Nigeria’s commitment to fostering stronger intra-African relations and economic cooperation.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging their countries’ strengths to promote mutual growth and development.

The Vice President, who congratulated President Duma Boko on his election victory, called for deeper partnerships and collaborations between African nations, saying it is time Africa united and presented a common front on interests regarding the continent.

During the meeting, Vice President Shettima welcomed the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, introducing her to the Botswana President.

The Vice President commended Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s exceptional achievements, describing her as one of Africa’s finest.

Other areas of interest discussed between the two leaders included trade, investment and strengthening of diplomatic ties.

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed dismay at the devastating tanker explosion that claimed several lives at Dikko Junction in Niger State.

He commiserated with families of the victims, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.

The Vice President extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger State.

The Vice President’s message follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s earlier directive for immediate medical assistance to survivors and the implementation of stricter safety protocols along major highways.

The incident, which occurred when a fuel-laden tanker en route from Kaduna to Gwagwalada overturned at Dikko Junction, has prompted the federal government to announce a comprehensive review of transportation safety measures.

The Preident has also tasked the National Orientation Agency with launching an immediate nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of approaching accident scenes involving fuel tankers.

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

German Ambassador, UNDP Country Rep unveil Zulum’s mass housing units, ICT centre

By: Michael Mike

The Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, Annet Gunther, and the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme to Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah have unveiled two projects executed by the administration of Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, in Monguno town.

While the German Ambassador unveiled resettlement houses for internally displaced persons (IDPs), Nigeria’s UNDP Country Representative conducted the commissioning of a 100-person capacity ICT centre to facilitate digital education.

The housing estate consists of 1,000 two-bedroom semi-detached low-cost houses and another 900 semi-permanent shelters with basic amenities such as a health centre and a borehole for water provision.

About 1,874 IDP families from 14 communities benefited from the housing project. Each of them received food and non-food items, N50,000 cash for the household heads and another N20,000 for each housewife.

In her goodwill message, Ambassador Annet Gunther commended Governor Zulum for the laudable projects that helped people affected by insurgency pick up the pieces of their lives.

She said: “This housing project is also a great example of collaboration between the government of Borno State and international partners. Funding for the housing units comes from both the state government and international partners.”

Elsie Attafuah corroborated Gunther’s commendation of Zulum’s administration, noting that the housing project aligns with UNDP’s regional stabilisation effort which is working towards peace restoration in communities in Lake Chad area.

Attafuah said: “Our collective effort in the Northeast and especially in Borno State is making tremendous impact in the lives of the people and the region: restoring hope, fostering social trust between the governments and the people, improving security, building back better, reducing incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), increased socio-economic empowerment of the affected population, reinstate access to social services and rebuilding people’s confidence and resilience.

“To be specific, in the past year, our collective effort and partnership resulted in the construction of 25 social service facilities; 1,400 shelters comprising 500 housing units and 900 semi-permanent shelters; 500 housing units in Logomane; and nine (9) security and justice infrastructure. These facilities were accompanied with relevant social service infrastructures like water, green energy, recreation centres and markets. Livelihood and protection of SGBV were also a major component of the achievements: 4,000 (40% female) persons were empowered through cash grants, technical and vocational skills acquisition with start pack grants and agricultural inputs. To promote regional trade networks between Nigeria and her neighbouring countries, RSF programme with your funding and government assistance invested massively in border infrastructures including customs, immigration and police facilities and markets. The investment has helped to bolster economic stability, improve security and peaceful co-existence among the border towns.”

She added that: “To bolster achievements being recorded under RSF programme, and to ensure durable solutions to IDPs in critically affected communities, the UN Secretary General advanced an initiative on durable solutions to IDP issues in 15 pilot countries. Nigeria is one of them. This initiative complements the Borno Model, a creative development policy framework, designed for a sustainable peacebuilding and reintegration in Borno State. There is no doubt that effective integration and synergy of these development tools will result in sustainable peace, stability and development of Borno State and Northeast region.”

Governor Zulum, in his address, explained that while the German Government funded the construction of 500 permanent and another 900 semi-permanent shelters, Borno State Government constructed the remaining 500 houses and provided amenities such as a health centre and potable water among others.

“A Letter of Agreement (LOA) was signed between Borno State Government and UNDP in 2020 under the RS German initiative to start the construction of 500 housing units. In August 2023, another LOA was signed under RSF German reintegration funds aimed at completing the 500 permanent housing units, providing an additional 900 semi-permanent shelters, and installing 375 solar streetlights,” the governor said.

He added that in addition to these efforts, Borno State Government had also constructed 500 permanent housing units and provided toilets for the temporary shelters, bringing the total number of houses constructed to 1,900.

According to Zulum, these accommodations will play a crucial role in the voluntary decongestion and eventual closure of some IDP camps in Monguno, ensuring a smoother transition for resettling families.

The governor expressed gratitude to the Governments of Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Egypt and the European Union, among other donors for supporting Borno State.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Germany for their generous contribution and to UNDP for their unwavering partnership.

“Additionally, we thank all other donors and contributors to the RSF, UN OFFER, and other funding initiatives dedicated to promoting peace, stability, reintegration and development in Borno State,” Zulum stated.

Dignitaries, including the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Foud, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, Esty Sotyoko, the head of UNDP office, Maiduguri, Mathew Alao, community leaders and citizens, gathered to witness the commissioning ceremony.

German Ambassador, UNDP Country Rep unveil Zulum’s mass housing units, ICT centre