Shettima: Special Envoy Of President Tinubu’s Vision

“Kashim Shettima may well go down in history as one of Nigeria’s most extensively delegated and internationally engaged Vice Presidents. I don’t think any VP has been entrusted with quite this level of international representation and delegation. From representing the President at major global summits to leading high-level Nigerian delegations in various countries, his exposure has undoubtedly broadened his experience on the international stage. If you ask me, that level of exposure has added significantly to his perspective and diplomatic experience.”

This was an honest take by Y B Mandara on the Vice-President’s schedules since the inception of President Tinubu’s administration. She said this in a discussion with a curious mind who would not have it, about Shettima’s international engagements.

He further pressed her on the details of Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s numerous international engagements.

Ms Mandara did a deep dive and reeled out a table of the International summits Mr. Vice-President has been in since 2023, namely: Rome – UN Food Systems Summit; St Petersburg – Russia-Africa Summit; Johannesburg – BRICS Summit; Havana G77+China Summit; Beijing – Belt and Road Forum; and Lowa – Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. In 2024: Davos – World Economic Forum; Nairobi – IDA Summit; New York – 79th UN General Assembly; Stockholm – Bilateral engagements. And in 2025: Dakar – Senegal Independence celebrations; Davos – WEF; New York – UNGA; Brazil – COP30; South Africa – G20; Angola – AU-EU Summit; Côte d’Ivoire – inauguration of Alassane Ouattara. So far in 2026: Guinea-Conakry – presidential inauguration + WEF Davos; Addis Ababa – African Union Summit; Cotonou – Benin presidential inauguration; Freetown – ECOWAS Summit; New Delhi – BRICS Summit; New York – 81st UN General Assembly.

Still, the curious observer wasn’t impressed and queried the benefits of all these international engagements.

Y B Mandara was irrepressible with these facts: the $1.1 billion Nigeria–Brazil Green Imperative for advancing agricultural mechanisation, technology transfer and food production; the Brazilian market access which has opened Brazil to Nigerian sesame, hibiscus and shea exports, supporting non-oil export earnings; the $2 billion Chinese investment MoUs, covering EV manufacturing, lithium batteries, renewable energy, industrial infrastructure and technology transfer; the additional $4 billion Chinese investment, signalling potential expansion of foreign direct investment into Nigerian productive sectors; the EV and battery manufacturing initiatives aimed at moving Nigeria toward local production and technology transfer rather than dependence on imported finished products; the Agricultural technology partnership with Brazil, cooperating on livestock genetics, soybean production, agricultural policy and climate-risk management; the Gulf of Guinea security cooperation which is to strengthen regional maritime security and protection of the waters, critical to Nigeria’s trade and oil economy; the AfCFTA/digital trade diplomacy aimed at pushing Nigeria’s participation in the emerging African digital economy and continental market; and lastly Davos investment diplomacy aimed at promoting Nigerian opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals and the digital economy.” I was schooled by Ms Mandara myself. All these are aside from the $ 7 billion MOU President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed in Paris recently with DP World for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Special Economic Zone in Ogun State.

In the last month, VP Shettima has been in three different countries across three different continents in quick succession, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In Luanda, Angola, at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union on 30 August 2026, VP Shettima was adamant about Nigeria’s position, seeking a lasting solution to xenophobia in South Africa, as it undermined African solidarity.

In New Delhi, at the 18th BRICS Summit on 13 September 2026, he emphasised President Tinubu’s position that Nigeria is the gateway to the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area), inviting more investors to pursue deep cooperation across artificial intelligence, infrastructure, cybersecurity, biotechnology, fintech, and manufacturing. At the 81st UNGA session in New York, on 24 September 2026, he carried President Tinubu’s message without dilution, that Africa should no longer be on the sidelines of the UN Security Council agenda, insisting on two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats for Africa.

He also co-hosted the $5 billion Global Partnership for Education Drive with the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has had the highest and most crucial level of engagement in International fora, representing President Tinubu and Nigeria and advancing the nation’s interests in global politics and the economy. These engagements have raised Nigeria’s FDI from $1.87 billion in 2023 to well over $21 billion in 2025-26 and counting. This has been enabled by a good working relationship between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice-President, Kashim Shettima.

Shettima has acted as Mr President’s special envoy on the global stage, trusting his oratory and emotional intelligence to deliver his vision without dilution to the world, as he engages world leaders, development partners and leaders of the most influential corporate entities. Shettima has actually become the “insignia” of Mr President’s position on matters in global debates and summits.

The last three engagements have been the most crucial, defining Nigeria’s partner-status position within BRICS, Addressing Xenophobia in South Africa, and advancing a promotion of Africa’s role in the United Nations Security Council.

And Mr President, of course, would rather have Shettima deliver these messages than anyone else.