Kashim Shettima heads to South Africa as Nigerian delegate to 15th BRICS summit

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has left Abuja for Johannesburg, South Africa, where he will represent President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government. Shettima’s participation in the summit, scheduled to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, was confirmed in a statement released by the Director of Information in the Vice President’s office, Olusola Abiola.

At the summit, Shettima will join a gathering of prominent business and political figures from around the world. Notable attendees include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A total of seventy-three dignitaries, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the President of the New Development Bank, have also been extended invitations.

The primary focus of the summit is to engage in discussions surrounding trade and investment facilitation, sustainable development, innovation, and reform in global governance. The event will also continue its outreach efforts to leaders from Africa and other parts of the world, concentrating on matters of global geopolitics, trade, and infrastructure development.

BRICS, an abbreviation for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, constitutes a coalition of five major emerging and developing economies. Collectively, the BRICS nations account for over 42% of the world’s population, 30% of its landmass, 23% of the global economy, and 18% of global trade. Among its foundational principles is a shared commitment to restructuring the global political, economic, and financial landscape to ensure fairness, balance, and representation, all based on the principles of multilateralism and international law.

Accompanying the Vice President on his journey are senior government officials. Shettima is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of the week following his participation in the summit.