Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari (middle), with current govenor of Borno State Babagana Zulum (L) and former governor Kashim Shettima (R) who is also vice president-elect.
AFP

Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, arrived in Cuba's capital, Havana ahead of the G77+China Leaders' Summit, which is scheduled to be held from Sept. 15 to Sept. 17.

G77 group started with 77 founding member countries. However, it has now expanded to 134 countries while Cuba is holding its chairmanship this year after Pakistan hosted the G77 summit last year.

Vice President Shettima will be presenting Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, which will be attended by world leaders including the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. The vice president is expected to talk about development issues facing members mostly from the global south.

Nigeria's Presidency shared on 'X' Thursday morning that the summit "will equally explore proactive ways of addressing challenges facing the development of the member-states leveraging science, technology, and innovation to enhance socio-economic growth."

The official X handle of the Embassy of Cuba at the Federal Republic of Nigeria shared a series of photos, featuring the Nigerian Vice President arriving in Havana and meeting Cuba's officials.

The State House announced on Tuesday that on the sidelines of the summit, the Vice President will hold "bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria's trade and investment relations in line with the economic development diplomacy of the Tinubu administration."

President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, will be hosting the Havana Summit under the "Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation" theme.

G77 group was formed during the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva in 1964. Nigeria is one of the founding members of the group.

It consists of "134 developing countries with 80% of world population, aims to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations."

Vice President Shettima is accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Lamuwa, amongst others.

It is worth noting that G77 and G20 are distinct from one another. G20 focuses on global economic and financial issues. G77, on the other hand, is focused on development-related matters.

President Tinubu attended the G20 summit last week before heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss bilateral issues and investment opportunities.

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