In a significant address at the ongoing G77+China Leaders’ Summit in Havana, Cuba, Vice President Kashim Shettima highlighted the paramount importance of international cooperation in addressing global opportunities and challenges.
Speaking to a distinguished assembly of world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and delegates from over 100 countries, Vice President Shettima emphasized the need for a collective focus on leveraging cooperation and partnership to find practical solutions to global issues.
“We must not allow geopolitical tensions in any corner of the world to deter us from forging a collective and mutually advantageous path forward – a roadmap of shared prosperity and progress,” he advised.
Vice President Shettima expressed Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating with member-states of the G77+China, pledging to champion initiatives that harness the potential of science, technology, and innovation to address economic challenges, especially within the global South.
He stated, “Allow me to reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with our fellow member nations of the G77 and China. We shall champion initiatives that harness the potential of science, technology, and innovation to confront economic challenges, particularly within the global South.”
In his speech titled “From Pandemic to Paradigm Shift: Nigeria’s Road to Reinvention,” Vice President Shettima acknowledged the historical impact of science and technology on nations, emphasizing their role in determining prosperity.
He noted that Nigeria is actively leveraging science, technology, and innovation to tackle challenges such as Covid-19 and the climate crisis. Notably, he mentioned Nigeria’s progress in mRNA vaccine production and the establishment of initiatives like Climate Action Africa (CMA) Labs dedicated to addressing climate change-related challenges.
Vice President Shettima stressed the importance of global partnership, warning that failing to act now could jeopardize the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The President of Cuba and Chair of G77+China, Miguel Diaz-Canel, echoed the call for collective wisdom to address development challenges faced by developing countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged the UN system’s continued collaboration with the G77 and China to find solutions to these challenges.
