In order to represent President Bola Tinubu at the third Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, which runs from October 16 to 18, Vice President Kashim Shettima left Nigeria on Sunday.
This was revealed in a statement made on Sunday in Abuja by Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President.
Nkwocha stated that Shettima would participate in a discussion on the theme of “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity” with world leaders from over 130 nations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
According to him, the vice president is expected to avail Nigeria of the platform provided by the forum to woo investors for more developmental projects.
Nkwocha added that the Vice President 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.
” 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. ”
He recalled that in 2018, former President, Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Nigeria, signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China.
“Nigeria and other partner-countries across the world are to benefit from the initiative in areas of infrastructure investments such as ports, skyscrapers, railroads, roads, bridges, airports, dams and coal-fired power stations.”
Nkwocha said that the delegation of the vice president to the forum includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. 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.
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