Vice President Kashim Shettima has held high level talks with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiophia.
The Vice President who was at the summit to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was accompanied to the meeting by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar with Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Nigeria’s Amina Muhammed also present.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his remarks asked Nigeria to spearhead Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions despite facing its own security challenges.
The UN Chief said this during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking during the talks, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism place it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.
The UN Secretary-General and the Vice President discussed key developments in Nigeria, as well as the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.
Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration in advancing global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Vice President Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in promoting global peace, saying Africa has benefitted immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.
The Vice President also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.
He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across the African continent.
