Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a more robust collaboration between the government and business leaders to propel Nigeria’s economic aspirations.

The vice president’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, said in a statement on Friday that Mr Shettima made the remark at the Heirs Holdings Group Directors’ Annual Dinner in Abuja.

“Collaboration between the public and private sectors is the ingredients of a thriving economy,” Mr Shettima said.

According to Mr Shettima, open dialogue, shared insights, and collaborative work between the public and private sectors are necessary tools for developing solutions tailored to Nigeria’s unique realities.

” Whether it is tackling unemployment, reducing poverty, or enhancing education and healthcare, our partnership must aspire to drive sustainable development and create a safe future for all Nigerians.

” Our bragging right will not be about having the most unicorns on the continent but also about our entrepreneurial standing with global comparisons,” he said.

He called for synergy between the political class and economic stakeholders, emphasising that the two spheres are not opposites but complementary forces vital for national stability and progress.

”Politics is too important to be left to the politicians and enterprises that define our economic destination are too important to be left to the businessmen alone to develop,” said Mr Shettima.

The vice president urged conglomerates to serve as pipelines for the administration’s practical economic vision, departing from cosmetic reforms of the past.

Mr Shettima commended the chairman of Heirs Holdings Group, Tony Elumelu, for his achievements and described him as an “enigma and a banking colossus whose entrepreneurial exploits have carved a niche in Africa’s economic landscape.”

He also lauded the Heirs Holdings chairman’s visionary leadership and commitment to empowering young African entrepreneurs.

“Tony Elumelu belongs to the class of wealthy men because he generates wealth and opportunities and is a harbinger of great tidings to the Nigerian people.

” For the dreams you have relegated to help build our nation, we offer our deepest gratitude and a promise to continue playing our part to enable the ease of doing business,” the vice president stated.

Earlier, Mr Elumelu reaffirmed the group’s unwavering commitment to the philosophy of Africapitalism and empowering young entrepreneurs across the continent.

Mr Elumelu, whose business empire spans 24 countries, noted that the annual gathering serves as a platform to review achievements and business practices and learn from the experiences of over 100 board members.

He stressed the group’s focus on human impact, citing the empowerment of 20,000 young African entrepreneurs with non-refundable seed capital of $5,000 each as their most significant recent achievement.

(NAN)