Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in the United States of America to participate in the African Development Bank (AfDB) World Food Prize-facilitated Norman Borlaug, International Dialogue. The event is slated for Iowa State.
Stanley Nkwocha, the senior special assistant to the vice president, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He explained that as the special guest, Mr Shettima will deliver a keynote address at the event which will commence on 24 October.
”In the itinerary of the vice-president while in the US are high stake meetings across some states of the US with manufacturers, investors and top government officials.
”On the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, Shettima will be joining the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s organisation, AGRA; World Food Prize laureates; Ghana President, John Kufuor and AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adeshina.
”Others are former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Presidents Felix Tshishiked and Joaquim Chissano; Joyce Banda; Ameenah Gurib – Fakim and IFAD President, Kanayo Nwanze as distinguished African leaders who in the past used the event to canvas support for agricultural development and food sufficiency in Africa. ”
Mr Nkwocha said the vice president will use the platform to speak on the potentialities and endowments of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He also said that Mr Shettima will woo investors and push for commitments from them toward achieving President Bola Tinubu’s mandates and programmes for Nigeria’s agro-food sector.
Nigeria is facing serious food inflation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the food inflation rate in September quickened to 30.64 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 7.30 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in September 2022 (23.34 per cent).
