THE Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Sunday departed Nigeria to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, holding from October 16 to 18.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).
He said that Shettima would join world leaders from over 130 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America 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. Shettima would 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,” the statement partly read.
“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.”
The presidential aide recalled that in 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China on behalf of Nigeria.
Nkwocha said that the delegation of the vice president to the forum includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu and the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali.
Others are the Minister Of Works, David Umahi, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, and the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Michael Ohiani.
