Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly those resident in the United States, to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in its efforts to transform the economy and reposition the country for sustained growth.
Shettima said the Federal Government was seeking to harness the expertise, capital, networks and intellectual capacity of Nigerians abroad to accelerate national development, describing the diaspora community as “the greatest resource of the future.”

The Vice President made the call on Wednesday at Nigeria House in New York during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in the United States.
The meeting was organised and coordinated by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Shettima said the administration was implementing reforms across critical sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, science and technology, while creating an environment conducive to investment and economic growth.
“Citizens of our country have the capacity and intellect to harness our nation’s potentials and take it to greater heights,” he said.

The Vice President also defended the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, saying the President had demonstrated courage by taking difficult decisions from the outset rather than dwelling on the challenges inherited from the previous administration.
“When President Tinubu assumed office, he did not resort to trading blames and accusing his predecessor for the state of affairs of our nation. Rather, he took decisions that only a leader of courage and conviction would take,” Shettima said.

He said the reforms were beginning to produce measurable results, citing improvements in foreign reserves, economic growth and the foreign exchange market.
According to him, Nigeria’s foreign reserves had risen from $3.9 billion to more than $55 billion, while the economy recorded 4.45 per cent growth in the last quarter.

Shettima said improved foreign exchange conditions and stronger external reserves would boost confidence in the Nigerian economy, strengthen the security of diaspora remittances and encourage investment by Nigerians living abroad.
The Vice President said the administration was also determined to redefine modern governance and position Nigeria to take advantage of emerging global economic opportunities, particularly as Africa assumes a more prominent role in the global economy.

“We are working day and night to reposition the Nigerian nation as investment confidence is returning to Nigeria, and the Dangote Refinery success story is a true manifestation in recent times,” he said.
“Be rest assured that beyond the negative stories that you hear and see on social media, Nigeria is open for business. We have crossed the rubicon, and we are on the path of sustained growth.”

Vice President Shettima also highlighted the impact of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, saying more than 1.29 million students in tertiary institutions had accessed about N125 billion since the commencement of the programme.
On security, the Vice President acknowledged the challenges confronting the country but noted that insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria.

He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was deploying available resources and strengthening its security response to contain emerging threats and improve the safety of citizens.
Vice President Shettima also called for greater national unity, urging Nigerians to place the collective interest above their differences and work together towards building a peaceful and prosperous country.

“Whatever binds us together supersedes whatever divides us as a people,” he said.
The session was attended by governors Babagana Zulum of Borno State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, as well as the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

Also present were the spouses of the governors of Kwara, Katsina, Abia and Osun states.
Members of the Federal Executive Council at the event included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro; Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Chief Dele Alake; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; and Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Bunkure.

Others included Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Kayode Are; heads of government agencies and senior officials of the Nigerian mission in the United States.