Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in New Delhi, India, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit as Nigeria seeks to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with member and partner countries of the bloc.
Shettima is leading a high-level Nigerian delegation to the summit, which is being held under the theme, “Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, among others.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, on Friday, September 11, Nigeria is using the summit to explore opportunities in trade, investment, agriculture, technology, artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
Ahead of the summit, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria would seek to leverage India’s experience in using technology and artificial intelligence to create opportunities for its large youth population.
“India is firm in its expertise in agriculture and, of course, even in the digital economy,” the minister said.
She added that Nigeria was particularly interested in India’s approach to youth engagement through technology and the digital economy.
“In fact, prior to this, we had a session dealing with women in the digital economy and artificial intelligence, and we are leveraging on India’s greatest strength, which is in the engagement of its youth population,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Oduwole, said the Federal Government was also seeking to expand Nigeria’s trade relationship with India, which she said had previously reached about $14 billion.
She disclosed that major investors of Indian origin had expressed interest in meeting the Nigerian delegation during the visit.
Oduwole said Nigeria also had significant trade relationships with other BRICS countries, stressing that stronger economic ties would support the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“And so, deepening those relationships will further strengthen the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration,” she said.
“India used to buy Nigerian oil quite a lot, so we are looking at how to expand that with everything going on in the world,” Oduwole added.
At the summit, Shettima is expected to join leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, as well as representatives of invited international organisations, for discussions on global growth, resilience, innovation and sustainable development.
He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings focused on advancing Nigeria’s interests in trade, investment, agriculture, technology and industrial development.
Nigeria became a BRICS partner country in January 2025 and has since used the platform to deepen South-South cooperation and expand its engagement with major emerging economies.
The Nigerian delegation will also participate in the BRICS open session and other activities scheduled on the sidelines of the summit.
