Along with a small delegation, Vice President Kashima Shettima is now attending this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
This media is aware that the second-ranking citizen went to Davos with just five assistants, including his director of protocol and security detail.
The number would have been double prior to President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of the entourage reduction.
Tinubu reduced the number of ministries, the first lady, the vice president, and his entourage a week ago.
The vice president is only allowed to travel with five individuals overseas and fifteen within the nation, while the president has instructed that his own entourage be reduced to 20 personnel for both domestic and foreign travel.
OUTRAGE OVER NIGERIAN DELEGATION TO COP28
A month or so after there was outcry over Nigeria’s delegation to the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the decision was made to reduce the entourage for public officers holding official positions.
With a record 1,411 delegates, Nigeria had the largest representation in Africa. After the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, Nigeria and China, with the same number of delegates, had the third-highest number.
Listed as Tinubu’s “confidante” was the Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury, who was part of the delegation.
Only 422 of the 1,411-member delegation from Nigeria, according to Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, had federal government sponsorship.
AI, CLIMATIZATION, AND CONFLICTS TO TOP WORLD DISCOURSE AT WEF
The WEF gathering this year will center on a number of topics, including artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, and conflicts.
At Davos, more than seventy heads of state and government will give speeches in public and privately.
The vice president’s communications aide Stanley Nkwocha declared that his principal will be present at the Private Sector Action Plan for African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) launch.
Shettima would also attend a special session aimed at fostering confidence in the global energy transition program, according to Nwocha, and lead a roundtable discussion on Nigeria’s economic trajectory.
This Friday is the last day of the WEF this year.
Credit: The Cable