Vice-President Kashim Shettima is expected to depart Abuja for Kenya to represent President Bola Tinubu at the crucial International Development Association (IDA21) Heads of State Summit in Nairobi on Monday.
Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of The Vice-President, on Sunday said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the trip comes after that of President Bola Tinubu, who on Friday, arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the 2024 Special World Economic Forum, WEF, on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development.
The President’s arrival marks the beginning of the second leg of his two-nation official visits, following his earlier engagement this week in the Hague, Netherlands.
Mr. President is yet to return to the country as at the time of filing this report on Sunday evening.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Leaves Abuja For Netherlands, Saudi Arabia
However, Nkwocha said the high-level gathering in Nairobi would be hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto.
He said that the event would see African leaders unite to call for an ambitious replenishment of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) concessional lending arm.
“Shettima is expected to take a lead role in advocating for Nigeria’s vision of a transformative IDA21 financing package to accelerate development across the continent over the 2024-2026 period.
” In the draft Nairobi IDA Communique to be considered at the summit, African heads of state outline 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.
READ ALSO: Fuel Subsidy Removal Prevented Nigeria from Bankruptcy – Tinubu
” While thanking donors for contributing 23.5 billion dollars to the current IDA20 cycle, the communique states that this level of financing is inadequate to meet the massive investment needs.
” It calls on IDA partners/donors to step up and ensure a robust replenishment for IDA21,” he said.
Nkwocha said Shettima was expected to emphasise that partners like IDA would be critical to realiing Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.
” This is considering the country’s young population requiring substantial investments in sectors like job creation, energy access, and human capital development.
” The Nairobi summit follows previous IDA gatherings in Abidjan in 2022 and Dakar last year where African leaders united to call for an ambitious IDA20 replenishment from donors,” he said.