Kashim Shettima:  Nigeria’s most engaged v/president ever, by Kola Amzat

In Nigerian annals of democratic rule, particularly since the turn of 4th Republic, no vice-president has been maximally engaged as the incumbent….Senator Kashim Shettima; not even, the immediate vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who was opportune to hold brief for his boss, the deceased Muhammed Buhari, while the retired general was on medical trips abroad, a couple of times.

This lends credence to the towering leadership credentials of the president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TINUBU (GCFR), widely acclaimed as an accomplished builder of contemporary and 21st Century leaders.  

It’s also to the delight of Nigerian citizenry that such a wonderful, harmonious and seamless relationship could develop between two leaders with different ethnicity, language and cultural beliefs.     

There is a long list of the president’s tremendous and incredible works in this respect: Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akin Ambode, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, George Akhume, Nuhu Ribadu, Gboyega Oyetola, Yemi Osinbajo, Abiola Ajimobi, Femi Gbajabiamila, Adams Oshiomole, Femi Cardozo, Wale Edun, James Faleke and still counting.      

To those who made spirited efforts to sow seeds of discord and cause confusion between the two leaders shortly after they were inaugurated in 2023, they only dissipated energy on ventures already dead on arrival.

Within 20 days, this year ONLY, Vice president Shettima attended proceedings marking the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day (AFCRD) at the cenotaph of the Unknown Soldier in Eagle Square, Abuja.

It’s instructive to note that, that’s the second consecutive year he’s   represented the President at such an historic and exclusively presidential event.

As at the time of this year’s event, President Tinubu was in the United Arab Emirates for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026.

Before the above event, the Vice president was at Conakry, Guinea where he represented the president at the inauguration of President-elect Mamady Doumbouya, an event aimed at a strategic move for regional leadership, economic partnership, and global integration under the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

From Guinea, the Vice president proceeded to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland to participate in the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum WEF 2026) scheduled to hold January 19 to 23, 2026.

Kashim Shettima commissioned Nigeria’s first-ever sovereign pavilion at the World Economic (WEF) in Davos.   

As the curtains were drawn on Year 2025, the vice president was in  Brazil to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 30th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference tagged COP 30.

The summit convened by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in collaboration with other partners, was held from November 6 to 7 in the city of Belém, capital of the state of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon.

Vice President Shettima joined other world leaders, development partners and business executives at the event themed, “Climate Action and Implementation,” with a strong focus on adaptation, forests, biodiversity, and climate justice.

The former Borno governor participated in a number of sidelined events, alongside other global leaders before returning home.

In Sept, 2025, the vice president led a Nigerian delegation to USA to attend 79th UNGA, at the behest of President Bola Tinubu, where he delivered Nigeria’s national statement, and joined other dignitaries at the UN high-level general debates, among other side events.

At the global event, he also announced Nigeria’s new nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), under the Paris Agreement at the year’s UN special event on climate.

After the grand appearance of VP at UNGA, he proceeded to Frankfurt, Germany where he met officials of the Deutsche Bank concerning major   financial dealings between Nigeria and the Bank, before returning to Nigeria.       

Equally, during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the year 2025, the vice president was in Davos to represent the president and Nigeria at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

The responsibility of leading Nigeria delegation to 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government also fell on the vice president, at the behest of the president.

In the home front, Kashim Shettima sits as Chairman of Nigeria Economic Council (NEC), leading the team to provide economic direction for the country, with strategic economic initiatives rooted in accelerated transition from oil to non-oil economy, export diversification, manufacturing, private sector investment, as well as ensuring that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President’s economic goals, and also monitoring the implementation of the policy in all the strata of government.

The vice president, also with overall responsibility to oversee Disaster Management & Risk Reduction has done marvelously well to shape and redirect the Agency, with quality decisions and strategic initiatives to address the growing threat of flood-related disasters and other disasters related issues-fire outbreak/inferno etc. across Nigeria.

The vice president has ensured facilitation of strengthening state and local emergency management agencies through training, technology and coordination support, as well as developing National Disaster Risk Financing to guarantee funding for prevention and preparedness is available when and where it is needed.

More importantly, the vice president has been significantly involved in the implementation of various reforms of government-removal of oil & gas subsidy, unification of multiple exchange rates, as well as other components of Seven (7) Points Renewed Hope Agenda.

It’s wonderful that the country is firmly under the control of a president, not only with eagle-eye for identifying talents across the country, but also has no issue whatsoever to showcase and launch them to stardom.

As Chief Executive Officer in charge of Lagos, he had a long list of key leaders who developed into full blown leaders; he has continued with the model at national level.

Ultimately, the country would be the greatest beneficiary for this.   

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.