Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for India to represent Nigeria at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, as world leaders converge in New Delhi.
BRICS is an international group comprising 11 major emerging economies and developing countries.
Nigeria’s participation in the summit provides another platform to strengthen partnerships in trade and investment, energy, agriculture, solid minerals, technology and innovation, while promoting greater cooperation among countries of the Global South.
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Vice President Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu at the summit scheduled for this weekend.
India’s 2026 BRICS chairmanship is anchored on the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with deliberations expected to cover political and security cooperation, economic and financial partnerships, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
While in New Delhi, Shettima will join leaders of BRICS member and partner nations, alongside other invited dignitaries, at plenary and high-level sessions examining global economic growth, multilateral cooperation and shared development priorities.
He is also expected to hold bilateral engagements with leaders and senior officials of participating countries, with discussions focusing on opportunities for deeper economic and diplomatic cooperation with Nigeria.
Nigeria, a BRICS partner country since January 2025, is using the platform to deepen South-South cooperation and engage some of the world’s largest emerging economies on trade, investment, development finance and reform of global governance institutions.
The country’s participation is also aimed at strengthening international economic partnerships, attracting investment and expanding markets for Nigerian products, particularly in agriculture, energy, minerals and other non-oil sectors.
The summit comes as BRICS marks 20 years since its establishment and as the grouping seeks greater practical cooperation among its expanding network of member and partner countries.
Vice President Shettima is expected to return to Nigeria after participating in the summit.
