VP Off To Beijing For 3rd BRI Forum

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, will depart Abuja today for Beijing, China, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the upcoming 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum scheduled to hold from 16th -18th October, 2023.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President) in a statement on Sunday says the VP will be joining world leaders from over 130 countries to deliberate on the theme, “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”

The Vice President is expected to avail Nigeria of the platform provided by the Forum to woo investors for more developmental projects.

He is also billed to hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development agenda of the Tinubu administration.

The 2023 edition of the BRI will mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by the President of China, Xi Jinping, as an initiative for global infrastructure development strategy.

Adopted and launched by the government of the Peoples Republic of China in 2013, the Initiative seeks international action to enhance cooperation and promote infrastructure investment in nearly 70 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes.

In 2018, then President, Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Nigeria, signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China.

Nigeria and other partner-countries across the world are to benefit from the initiative in areas of infrastructure investments such as ports, skyscrapers, railroads, roads, bridges, airports, dams and coal-fired power stations.

The delegation of the Vice President to the Belt and Road relative Forum includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf M. Tuggar; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Abubakar Bagudu; and the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali among others.

Meanwhile, in pursuance of the food security and diversification policy of the Tinubu administration, the Vice President will, from China, depart for the United States of America, USA, where he is expected to deliver the keynote address at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Food Prize – facilitated Norman E.Borlaug International Dialogue slated for October 24th, 2023.

The Vice President will be joining other distinguished African international leaders and heads of state/governments who in the past have delivered keynote addresses at the Borlaug Dialogue.

He is expected to highlight reforms being instituted in the Nigerian Agrifood sector by the Tinubu administration and engage several stakeholders, partners and investors in opportunities for investments in Nigeria.