ABUJA — Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria’s dedication to harnessing the potential of its youth, investing in education, and advancing smart agriculture were necessary strategies that would go a long way in tackling global and domestic challenges.
The Vice President said that African youths were central to the transformation at a continental level.
Speaking at the Financial Times Global Risk Roundtable at the ongoing 2025 World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, VP Shettima said: “The word for crisis in Chinese is ‘Wei Ji’. Wei stands for danger, while Ji stands for opportunity. Yes, we have challenges, but those challenges are pregnant with opportunities to re-engineer our society and build back better.”
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s resolve to embrace innovation and empowerment, particularly through education, gender-focused initiatives, and smart agriculture to propel its economy into the fourth post-industrial revolution.
“The crisis has given us a unique opportunity to invest in people, especially in areas that will enable us to leapfrog our economies into global competitiveness,” he said.
He further said: “I don’t believe in aid, I believe in partnership. I’d rather carry my poverty with dignity and deal with people, nations, and companies on a pedestal of equality, not in a master-servant relationship. I didn’t come with a begging bowl,” he said.
The VP expressed optimism about Africa’s prospects, noting the continent’s rich resources and strategic importance to global growth, saying, “My continent is the richest in the world, and the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa. Nigeria will make or mar that transition. The youths of Africa are the drivers of change.”
Acknowledging global crises, including conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, the Vice President noted their impact on supply chains, humanitarian challenges, and peace.
He called for multilateral collaboration, stressing that the interconnected nature of global challenges requires collective solutions.
