Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the multilateral trading system, stressing the need for global cooperation to achieve sustainable economic development.
Shettima spoke on Saturday during a meeting with WTO Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
The Vice President said no country could achieve sustainable prosperity by isolating itself from the global community, assuring that Nigeria would continue to support the WTO’s efforts to promote multilateralism and international cooperation.
“I believe the world is greater than one nation. We will continue to support the WTO in championing the cause of multilateralism,” he said.
Shettima stressed that countries were increasingly interconnected and needed one another to achieve sustainable economic development.
“We are essentially one human family and interconnected. You cannot divorce yourself from the global community,” he said.
The Vice President also described migration as an important driver of development, innovation and economic growth, noting that migrants had historically contributed significantly to the development of countries and major cities.
He said: “Nations are built by immigrants. Even cities are built by people who came from outside, not just by the locals.
“That goes to show that we have so much to gain from global migration.”
Shettima cited the Nigerian diaspora as an example of how migration could contribute to development through education, entrepreneurship and professional excellence.
He said Nigerians living abroad had continued to distinguish themselves in various fields while contributing positively to their host countries.
Citing a recent Pew Research Centre analysis of 2024 US Census Bureau data, Shettima said 67 per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the United States held at least a bachelor’s degree.
“Sixty-seven per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the United States held at least a bachelor’s degree.
“It is the highest proportion among the major Black immigrant groups examined,” the Vice President added.
Shettima commended Okonjo-Iweala for her leadership at the WTO and urged her to continue deploying her experience towards global development.
“You are doing a very wonderful job at the WTO, but you still have a lot to contribute to humanity,” he told her.
Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and first African to serve as WTO Director-General. She began her second four-year term in September 2025 following her reappointment to lead the organisation.
Meanwhile, Shettima is scheduled to present Nigeria’s partnership and foreign investment opportunities to BRICS leaders on Sunday as part of the country’s engagement at the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
The summit is being held under the theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.’
Shettima is expected to highlight President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its focus on creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians.
He will also outline reforms aimed at expanding infrastructure, strengthening economic resilience and promoting private-sector-led growth.
The Vice President’s engagement is expected to showcase Nigeria’s investment potential and deepen economic cooperation with BRICS member states.
