Shettima Leaves for Italy, Russia, to Attend UN Food Systems Summit, Russia-Africa Meeting

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima departed Abuja yesterday, to represent President Bola Tinubu at two major international Summits in Rome, Italy and St Petersburg, Russia.

At the Rome event, the Vice President, according to a statement issued by Director of Information in his office, Mr. Olusola Abiola, would join other global leaders for the first Stocktaking Moment (STM) Summit with the theme: “Transforming Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity,” holding from today, to Wednesday, 26th July, 2023.

During the Summit, Shettima would chair a high-level session with theme, “Innovative Financing for Food System Transformation: the Case of Nigeria” and the side event on, “Scaling up Multi Stakeholders Collaboration and Investment in the Implementation of Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria.”

The event is being organised in collaboration with the Rome-based UN Agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP), as well as the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and wider UN system.

The Vice President would thereafter proceed from Rome to St. Petersburg in Russia, to represent Tinubu at the Russia-Africa Summit scheduled from Wednesday, 26th to Saturday, 29th July, 2023.

While in Russia, Shettima would join other political and business leaders at the 2nd Russia–Africa Summit and Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum focused on strategising to enhance relations between Russia and the African continent, among other benefits.

The vice president would also participate in bilateral meetings with representatives of relevant Russian senior government officials and business leaders to discuss relations between Russia and Nigeria.

Shettima, who is being accompanied by senior government officials from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, is expected back in the country at the end of the week.