Vice-President Kashim Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, with trade and investment talks expected
Vice-President Kashim Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, scheduled for this weekend at Bharat Mandapam.
In a statement on Friday, Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice-President, said Shettima would join leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, as well as other invited dignitaries, for plenary and high-level sessions focused on global economic growth, multilateral cooperation and shared development priorities.
The trip comes as Tinubu remains on vacation in Europe, with Shettima stepping in to lead Nigeria’s delegation at the gathering.
What Nigeria Hopes to Gain.
Nkwocha said Shettima will also hold bilateral engagements with leaders and senior officials of participating countries, with discussions expected to focus on opportunities for deeper economic and diplomatic cooperation.
“The engagement will provide Nigeria with 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,” the statement reads.
Nigeria’s BRICS Status
Nigeria became a partner country of BRICS, a 20-year-old economic bloc of major emerging economies, in January 2025. This year’s summit is being held under India’s 2026 BRICS chairmanship, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Discussions at the summit are expected to cover political and security cooperation, economic and financial partnerships, sustainable development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Nkwocha said the summit would open another channel for Nigeria to deepen South-South cooperation and engage with some of the world’s largest emerging economies on trade, investment, development finance, and the reform of global governance institutions. According to the statement, Nigeria’s participation is consistent with Tinubu’s broader drive to strengthen the country’s international economic partnerships, attract investment, and expand markets for locally produced goods.
Backdrop: Nigerians Abroad
Shettima’s trip to India also comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s continuing efforts to protect the interests of its citizens abroad, amid ongoing concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa, a matter that has featured in recent bilateral and diplomatic engagements involving the Nigerian government.
Nkwocha said the vice-president is expected to return to Nigeria shortly after the summit concludes.
