Vice President Kashim Shettima has told Nigerians living in the United States that President Bola Tinubu is determined to redefine modern governance and reposition Nigeria for sustained economic growth.
Shettima also urged the Nigerian diaspora to support the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and contribute to efforts to transform the country’s economic fortunes.
The Vice President spoke on Wednesday at Nigeria House in New York during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian diaspora community in the United States.
According to Shettima, Tinubu assumed office with a determination to redefine governance at a time when the trajectory of global growth was increasingly shifting towards Africa, with Nigeria expected to play a significant role in the emerging economic order.
“We are working day and night to reposition the Nigerian nation as investment confidence is returning to Nigeria, and the Dangote Refinery success story is a true manifestation in recent times,” he said.
“Be rest assured that beyond the negative stories that you hear and see in the social media, Nigeria is open for business. We have crossed the rubicon, and we are on the path of sustained growth.”
Shettima highlighted the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, saying more than 1.29 million students in tertiary institutions had accessed N125 billion since the programme was introduced.
On security, the Vice President acknowledged the challenges confronting the country, but said the administration was deploying available resources to contain emerging threats.
He also called for national unity, urging Nigerians to work towards building a prosperous country.
“Whatever binds us together supersedes whatever divides us as a people,” Shettima said.
The Vice President said the administration was implementing measures to reposition the economy, particularly in education, healthcare, science and technology, and agriculture.
He said the government would also leverage the skills and expertise of Nigerians living abroad, describing the diaspora community as “the greatest resource of the future”.
“Citizens of our country have the capacity and intellect to harness our nation’s potentials and take it to greater heights,” he added.
Speaking on the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, Shettima said the President had demonstrated courage by taking difficult decisions instead of blaming his predecessor for the country’s challenges.
“When President Tinubu assumed office, he did not resort to trading blames and accusing his predecessor for the state of affairs of our nation. Rather, he took decisions that only a leader of courage and conviction would take,” he said.
Shettima said the reforms were already producing what he described as tangible results, citing an increase in the country’s foreign reserves from $3.9 billion to more than $55 billion and economic growth of 4.45 per cent in the last quarter.
He added that improvements in the exchange rate and foreign reserves would help safeguard diaspora remittances, support exchange-rate stability and protect investments made by Nigerians abroad.
Those present at the event included Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum; Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq; Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara; Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal; and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
Also in attendance were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro; Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Doris Uzoka-Anite; and Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Bunkure.
Others included Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Kayode Are; and other senior government officials and diplomatic representatives.
