Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for enhanced collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to spur economic development across Africa.
During a bilateral meeting with WEF President, Mr. Børge Brende, at the recent 2025 WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Vice President Shettima outlined Nigeria’s plans to leverage global partnerships for transformative projects such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) and the recharging of Lake Chad.
He emphasised the strategic importance of the AAGP, which aims to transport natural gas from Nigeria to Morocco and other African nations, ultimately reaching Europe. Highlighting the continent’s potential to address global energy demands driven by artificial intelligence, data mining, and storage, he noted that the pipeline could bolster energy security while fostering regional economic growth.
“We seek collaboration on the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline to connect Nigeria to North Africa and Europe,” Vice President Shettima said.
“This project presents an opportunity to enhance energy security and address Europe’s gas challenges while supporting economic growth in West Africa.”
He further advocated the recharging of Lake Chad through water diversion from the Congo River Basin, describing it as a vital solution to combat food insecurity, terrorism, and ecological challenges. Vice President Shettima highlighted the potential of this initiative to generate clean energy, transform agriculture, and address existential threats in the Sahel region.
“The shrinking of Lake Chad from 25,000 square kilometers to just 2,000 square kilometers has exacerbated ecological and security crises,” he noted. “Recharging the lake would provide hydropower, enhance agriculture, and tackle the global food crisis.”
The Vice President commended President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, citing measures such as subsidy removal, exchange rate alignment, and tax reforms as steps positioning Nigeria for sustained economic growth. He extended an invitation to the WEF President to visit Nigeria and meet President Tinubu while proposing that Nigeria host the WEF Africa Summit.
Highlighting Nigeria’s role as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, he projected the country’s growing influence, predicting it would surpass the U.S. as the third most populous nation by 2050.
The Vice President’s participation at the Davos summit included meetings with global leaders, such as South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, and discussions with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. At forums organised by the African Development Bank and WEF, he championed Nigeria’s readiness to attract investment and capitalise on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Vice President Shettima also participated in a panel discussion on global risks, where he stressed the need for multilateral solutions to global crises and advocated innovation in education and agriculture to empower Nigeria’s youth.
