Shettima Canvasses More Support for FG’s Job Creation, Food Security Agenda

•Receives Tony Blair Institute’s global MD at Villa

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged development partners to provide more support for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to deliver, especially in priority areas such as e-mobility, job creation, agriculture, food security and the power sector, among others.

According to him, delivering on the priority areas will help in addressing some of the challenges bedevilling the country, particularly the security situation occasioned by terrorism, kidnapping and banditry.

Shettima, who spoke yesterday while playing host to the Global Managing Director of the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), Mr Michael McNair, at the State House, Abuja, noted the commitment of the Tinubu government to delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda saying, “it is easy to talk but how to walk the talk is the most important component of leadership”.

Canvassing more support for the Tinubu administration’s drive to deepen the deployment and use of e-vehicles for public transportation, the vice president urged the TBI to make available its expertise in enhancing the adoption of the technology in Nigeria.

“I crave your indulgence to support us in e-mobility. We want your perspective and your input on the deployment and use of e-mobility, we want to adopt and adhere to global best practices,” he noted.

Shettima applauded TBI’s partnership with Nigeria, especially in the nation’s effort to deepen the quality of governance and leadership in priority areas of job creation, agriculture and food security, support for the power sector through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the delivery unit that will track our efforts.

According to him, given the burden of Nigeria’s growing population with all of its implications, government must improve on the quality of governance.

“There is no magic wand beyond delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. Once we create jobs and engage the youths, the challenges of terrorism, kidnappings and banditry will be drastically curtailed,” he further stated.

Earlier in his speech, Global Managing Director of the Tony Blair Institute, Mr Michael McNair, commended  Tinubu and Shettima’s leadership, noting that the vice president’s impressive outing at the World Economic Forum (WEF), particularly his commitment to Africa’s future, was indicative of the country’s direction.

McNair said he was in Nigeria to appraise the work started by the TBI team in the country, particularly in supporting the new administration to deliver on set goals, stressing that TBI’s success is in helping the administration to achieve its mandate across different sectors.

He said the institute is committed to supporting growth and development in Africa and Nigeria in particular in key areas identified by the administration, noting that the organisation is prepared to deploy additional resources to achieve target objectives in the country.