Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday departed Nigeria to represent President Bola Tinubu at the G77+China Leaders’ Summit in Havana, Cuba.

The summit will be held from September 15 to 17.

In a statement, the vice-president’s media aide, Olusola Abiola, said Mr Shettima would join other world leaders at the summit, including the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres.

The statement said the summit would deliberate on development issues facing members, mostly from the global south.

“The summit will equally explore proactive ways of addressing challenges facing the development of the member-states leveraging science, technology and innovation to enhance socio-economic growth,” it noted. 

It added, “Also, Shettima will, on the sidelines of the summit, hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development diplomacy of the President Bola Tinubu administration.”

The statement also mentioned that Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel will host the Havana Summit in his capacity as chairman of the G77.

The summit’s theme is ‘Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation’.

Nigeria is a founding member of the G77 group established in 1964 by 77 developing countries.

“The group, a coalition of 134 developing countries with 80 per cent of world population, aims to promote its members’ collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations,” the statement explained.

It said Mr Shettima would be accompanied by agriculture and rural development minister Abubakar Kyari, his innovation, science and technology counterpart, Uche Nnaji, and the foreign affairs ministry permanent secretary, Adamu Lamuwa.

(NAN)