Vice President Kashim Shettima will tonight depart Abuja for Nairobi, Kenya, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the International Development Association Heads of State Summit.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha.
The summit, hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto, aims to secure an ambitious replenishment of the World Bank’s IDA concessional lending arm.
VP Shettima will take a lead role in advocating for Nigeria’s vision of a transformative IDA21 financing package to accelerate development across Africa over the 2024-2026 period.
The “Nairobi IDA Communique” outlines urgent priorities for IDA’s next three-year funding cycle, including building human capital, creating jobs, enhancing energy and digital access, building climate resilience, and promoting sustainable growth.
African heads of state are calling for a robust replenishment, citing the inadequate $23.5 billion contributed to the current IDA20 cycle.
VP Shettima will emphasize the importance of partners like IDA in realizing Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda, particularly in sectors like job creation, energy access, and human capital development.
The Nairobi summit follows previous IDA gatherings in Abidjan and Dakar, where African leaders united to call for an ambitious IDA20 replenishment from donors.
VP Shettima’s participation demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to securing crucial global financing for development.
