Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the multilateral trading system, with Vice President Kashim Shettima saying no country can prosper in isolation from the global community.
Shettima made the position known on Saturday during a meeting with the WTO Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.
The Vice President assured that Nigeria would continue to support the WTO in strengthening multilateralism and promoting a global system based on cooperation rather than isolation.
He said the world was interconnected and that countries must work together to achieve sustainable development.“I believe the world is greater than one nation.
We will continue to support the WTO in championing the cause of multilateralism. We are essentially one human family and interconnected.
You cannot divorce yourself from the global community,” Shettima said.The Vice President also highlighted migration as an important driver of development, innovation and economic growth, noting that immigrants have historically contributed significantly to the development of nations and cities around the world.
“Nations are built by immigrants. Even cities are built by people who came from outside, not just by the locals.
That goes to show that we have so much to gain from global migration,” he said.Using Nigerians living abroad as an example, Shettima commended the Nigerian diaspora for distinguishing themselves through education, enterprise and professional achievements.
He cited recent Pew Research Center analysis of 2024 US Census Bureau data, which showed that 67 per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the United States had at least a bachelor’s degree, the highest proportion among the major Black immigrant groups examined.
Shettima also commended Okonjo-Iweala for her leadership of the WTO, urging her to continue using her experience to advance global development.Okonjo-Iweala, who is the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, began her second four-year term as Director-General in September 2025.
Meanwhile, Shettima is expected to present Nigeria’s partnership and foreign investment opportunities to leaders of the BRICS alliance on Sunday at the ongoing summit, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The Vice President is expected to highlight the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its efforts to create sustainable opportunities through economic reforms, infrastructure expansion and the promotion of private-sector-led growth.
He will also advocate for a more inclusive international order that strengthens cooperation and creates greater opportunities for developing economies.
