Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to peace, stability, and economic cooperation across West Africa as he represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara for another term in office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace, drew leaders from across the continent as well as global partners and international organisations.
President Ouattara took the oath of office with a renewed pledge to advance national reconciliation, strengthen state institutions, and deepen economic growth in his new term.
Conveying President Tinubu’s warm congratulations, Vice President Shettima praised Ouattara’s leadership and expressed confidence in Côte d’Ivoire’s continued progress under his stewardship.
He noted that Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire enjoy a longstanding diplomatic and economic partnership that both nations are committed to expanding.
Shettima emphasised that Nigeria will continue to champion collaborative security frameworks, joint economic initiatives, and regional stability efforts under ECOWAS, particularly in the face of evolving political and security challenges in the subregion.
“President Tinubu looks forward to deepening our partnership with Côte d’Ivoire. Our shared destiny as West African nations requires collective commitment to security, prosperity, and democratic stability,” he said.
In his inaugural remarks, President Ouattara thanked visiting leaders, including those from South Africa, Liberia, Senegal, Gambia, Angola, and Ghana, for their solidarity. Former President Goodluck Jonathan was also in attendance.
The United States was represented by a Presidential Delegation led by Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Jacob Helberg, alongside high-level representatives from ECOWAS and other nations.
On the sidelines of the inauguration, Vice President Shettima met with Ms Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank Group, who commended Nigeria for implementing bold and necessary reforms under the Tinubu administration.
Ms Bjerde praised what she described as “pragmatic, though difficult, decisions” taken to stabilise the economy, noting that the World Bank is committed to deepening support for Nigeria in the areas of energy access, job creation, and gender empowerment.
“On energy, we’re stepping up with initiatives to ensure that about four million people are connected,” she said, adding that the Bank will also scale up programmes aimed at improving the education and empowerment of the girl child.
Vice President Shettima, in response, highlighted the administration’s determination to confront systemic economic distortions, particularly the costly fuel subsidy regime. While acknowledging the short-term hardship triggered by reforms, he insisted the policies are already yielding tangible results.
“The reforms may have been painful initially, but we have crossed the Rubicon and the dividends are now unfolding,” he said.
He outlined ongoing tax reforms, investments in agriculture, expansion of the digital economy, and gender-focused initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria’s demographic advantage into a driver of long-term prosperity.
“Our goal is to turn the demographic bulge into demographic dividends. This requires empowering women, boosting agricultural productivity, and expanding opportunities in the digital economy,” Shettima added.
The Vice President commended the World Bank for its continued support and stressed that Nigeria values its technical and financial partnership as the country navigates a crucial phase of economic realignment.
