Nigeria deepens ties with OACPS members at UNGA

•Shettima advocates cooperation

Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering stronger international partnerships and deepening relations with member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79).

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is representing President Bola Tinubu at the global event, spoke at a high-level OACPS meeting, chaired by Angola.

Reiterating the importance of solidarity among member states in the face of numerous global challenges, the Vice President emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to the organisation’s goals, while addressing pressing national concerns.

He said: “Nigeria remains a principal partner of OACPS, championing our shared values of democracy, diaspora engagement, and development.

“Our presence here at the UN General Assembly allows us to amplify these priorities on the global stage and explore avenues for deeper collaboration.”

Earlier, the Secretary-General of OACPS, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, lauded Nigeria as “a motor of the OACPS and an important member state”.

IN another but related development, the African Development Bank urged Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and other development partners to scale up innovative partnerships and initiatives to build peace and security in Africa.

lts Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, gave the charge during a session on the sidelines of the 79th Assembly of the United Nations titled: ‘Investing in Prevention: Scaling up Peace – A Call to Action for DFIs. ’

Akin-Olugbade affirmed that the bank would like to mobilise institutions to prioritise peace building and through innovative partnerships develop new financial mechanisms.

“We’ve gone beyond theory and talk. We at the African Development Bank are interested in strengthening partnerships. We are not going to work in silos. We are looking forward to continuing this discussion at COP 29 and at the Africa Resilience Forum next year,” Akin-Olugbade added.

MEANWHILE, the United States Chamber of Commerce has expressed its willingness to invest about $320 million in mortgage refinancing and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson for Vice President Kashim Shettima, Stanley Nkwocha, at the ongoing UNGA.

According to the statement, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Nisha Biswal, made this known at a US-Nigeria Executive Business Roundtable hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce as part of activities at the ongoing UNGA.

She explained that with a portfolio of $1 billion, the chamber would invest 200 million dollars in mortgage refinancing in Nigeria.