Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria is on the right trajectory towards growth and development, citing favourable international ratings agency reports as confirmation of the nation’s “direction of travel.”
Speaking on Monday at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit in Asaba, Mr Shettima pointed to assessments by Fitch, S&P and Moody’s as evidence of progress under the Tinubu administration.
The Vice President also endorsed what he described as a “healthy cycle of competition” among Nigeria’s 36 states, arguing that such rivalry is essential for achieving national prosperity, economic growth and job creation.
“This is evident in the quality and ambition of the investment summits organised by the states across the country,” he said, emphasising that the nation’s strength lies in the proactive economic awakening of its subnational governments rather than in the federal government alone.
States Must Move from Documentation to Execution
Mr Shettima urged states to transition from basic asset documentation to practical execution and job creation, adding that each state must define a trajectory unique to its history, geography and comparative advantage.
“This is the race we must welcome: a race that proclaims growth rather than conflict, a race in which the prize is employment, prosperity and human dignity, a race for the future,” he said.
Recalling President Bola Tinubu’s promise to place the nation on a growth path, the Vice President noted that each summit had become “another platform for turning that promise into enterprise.”
Delta’s Diversification Drive Commended
Mr Shettima commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for taking a bold step towards a greater Delta, stressing that the state’s advantage lay not in its oil wealth but in its conviction that the future cannot depend on a single commodity.
“Diversification is an instinct of economic self-preservation and a measure of the quality of leadership,” he said. “A government that prepares for life beyond oil understands that resources may finance progress, but only ideas, institutions and enterprise can sustain it.”
He assured investors of the federal government’s readiness to support credible investments and remove obstacles to enterprise.
Soludo: Nigeria Stabilised, on Recovery Path
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, expressing solidarity with his Delta counterpart, said from a macroeconomic standpoint, Nigeria had stabilised and was on the path to recovery, though he stressed the need for foreign capital and stronger stakeholder networking.
Okonjo-Iweala Calls for Fiscal Prudence
World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala congratulated Delta on its developmental strides, observing that despite global disruptions, significant opportunities exist for Delta, Nigeria and Africa.
The former finance minister called for fiscal prudence, lower trade costs, improved policy execution and a stronger maintenance culture across the nation.
Earlier, Governor Oborevwori explained that the summit followed his 2025 cabinet-led investment missions to China and Brazil, designed to connect ideas with capital and maximise Delta’s socio-economic potential.