From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has acknowledged that the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and energy sector overhaul, are challenging but essential for Nigeria’s progress.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a visit by a delegation from Berlin’s Hertie School of Governance, Shettima said, “The removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate regime and the revolution in the energy sector are all painful processes, but at the end of the day, the Nigerian people will laugh last.”
According to Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s media aide, these reforms aim to unlock Nigeria’s potential and position it as a leading African economy. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a very modern leader who is willing to take far-reaching, courageous decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy,” Shettima stated.
He highlighted the Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 programme as central to equipping Nigerians with vital skills, thanking partners like the World Bank, European Union, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their support.
Shettima emphasised that investing in human capital is both an economic and social necessity, saying, “We can only turn our demographic bulge into a demographic dividend when we invest in the human capital of the people.”
Hertie School delegation leader Rolf Alter praised the HCD strategy as “targeted towards improving the lives of citizens” and pledged collaboration to deliver tailored programmes, urging agility amid global changes.
The delegation included Germany’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gunther; Nigerian Governors Forum Director General, Dr Abdulateef Shittu; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb Dunoma Ahmed; and representatives from the Budget Office, Gates Foundation, World Bank, and Hertie School.