VP Shettima Returns To Abuja After G20, AU–EU Summits

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Abuja from Luanda, Angola, after successfully representing President Bola Tinubu at the 7th African Union–European Union (AU-EU) Summit held in that country.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President had on Sunday departed South Africa for Luanda after a successful outing at the 2025 Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, where he also represented the President.

In Angola, Senator Shettima delivered President Tinubu’s statement in which the Nigerian leader intensified the nation’s call for Africa to secure permanent seats with veto-wielding authority on the United Nations (UN) Security Council, insisting that comprehensive reform of the global governance system is long overdue.

The President, in his statement, also tasked the European Union (EU) with co-creating peace and security initiatives alongside its African partners, anchored on African-led frameworks as a pathway to achieving sustainable stability across the continent.

The Nigerian leader reaffirmed the country’s firm commitment to advancing peace, security and democratic governance across Africa, and collaborating with the European Union to build a more stable, just, and prosperous world.

Earlier at the first session of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the President urged world leaders to come up with a more equitable and responsive system to manage global financial flows and sincerely address the recurring debt crises in a manner that meets the needs of all nations.

In his speech delivered by VP Shettima on Saturday, President Tinubu noted that the multilateral frameworks, currently being relied on, no longer reflect the complexities of the present world, as they were “built in an era far removed from” the present challenges.

At the third session of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Sunday, the President called for a global framework that benefits communities hosting critical minerals in Nigeria and Africa, ensuring value addition at the source.

He also backed the creation of global ethical standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI), aimed at accelerating development across the world.