Nigeria Stands Strong with WTO at BRICS Summit

Nigeria has shown its commitment to the World Trade Organization and the global trading system. The country believes no nation can thrive alone, away from the global community.

Vice President Kashim Shettima shared Nigeria’s position. He promised that Nigeria would keep supporting the WTO to enhance multilateralism and build a world based on cooperation, not isolation.

Mr Shettima spoke on Saturday during a meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This meeting took place at the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.

“I believe the world is greater than one nation. We will continue to support the WTO in championing the cause of multilateralism. We are essentially one human family and interconnected. You cannot divorce yourself from the global community,” he said.

Migration and Development

VP Shettima also discussed the role of migration in driving development and economic growth. He pointed out that immigrants have always helped to build nations and cities around the world.

“Nations are built by immigrants. Even cities are built by people who came from outside, not just by the locals. That goes to show that we have so much to gain from global migration,” he explained.

He highlighted the Nigerian diaspora as an example. The vice president said Nigerians living abroad continue to make their mark through education and professional success.

“Recent Pew Research Center analysis of 2024 US Census Bureau data showed that 67 per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the United States held at least a bachelor’s degree, the highest proportion among the major Black immigrant groups examined,” he stated.

Support for WTO Leadership

The vice president praised Mrs Okonjo-Iweala for her leadership at the WTO. He encouraged her to keep using her skills for global development.

“You are doing a very wonderful job at the WTO, but you still have a lot to contribute to humanity,” he told the WTO DG.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and first African to lead the WTO. She began her second four-year term as Director-General in September 2025.

Future Plans

Tomorrow, Sunday, Vice President Shettima will present Nigeria’s partnership and foreign investment opportunities. He will speak to leaders of the BRICS alliance at the ongoing summit themed, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

He will push for a more inclusive international order. The vice president will also share the aim of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. This agenda focuses on creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians through reforms and better infrastructure.