WEF 2025: Shettima urges global leaders to discard outdated stereotype about Africa

By Kunle Sanni
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged global leaders and investors to discard outdated stereotypes about Africa and recognize the continent as a hub of limitless potential.
Speaking at the ongoing 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the Vice President declared that Africa is “waking up from its slumber” and is ready to drive global economic growth.
“The stories you hear about Africa are not of doom and gloom,” Shettima told attendees during a session titled “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets.” He emphasized that the continent is no longer a passive player but an emerging powerhouse in the global economy.
“Africa is the youngest continent, and the trajectory of global growth is turning towards us. It is time to seize the moment, and we are ready for business,” Shettima said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Shettima pointed to the country’s strategic focus on modernization and infrastructure development, including the ambitious coastal highway connecting Calabar to Lagos and the West African gas pipeline project in partnership with 14 African countries.
“We are not only thinking of the present; we are investing in the future, much like the Belt and Road Initiative,” Shettima stated.
The Vice President also underscored the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in addressing infrastructure gaps and fostering economic integration across the continent.
In a call for unity and self-reliance, Shettima quoted the late Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, saying, “Africa has come of age. It is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power.”
The session, co-chaired by Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of WEF, and Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), reflected on Africa’s role in global economic recovery.
Shettima also reaffirmed Africa’s readiness to claim its rightful place in the global economic landscape, urging the international community to partner with the continent in driving sustainable growth.