Vice President Kashim Shettima declared on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious policy decisions are being implemented in the best interest of all Nigerians.
He emphasised the administration’s commitment to cultivating an environment conducive to serious business operations nationwide.
Shettima spoke during a courtesy visit from the newly elected executives of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), led by National President Engr. Jani Ibrahim, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He highlighted key initiatives including the removal of the petrol subsidy, the streamlining of the multiple exchange rate system, and ongoing tax reforms.
“I can assure you that Nigeria is ready for business, and you are the drivers of change,” Shettima told the NACCIMA delegation, pledging President Tinubu’s unwavering support.
“I plead guilty to romancing with the business community – the manufacturing sector; the productive sector. This is how great nations build; this is how Korea became what it is.”
He stressed that Tinubu has remained steadfast in pursuing these reforms despite challenges, underscoring that the actions are solely for the benefit of the Nigerian populace.
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He underscored the President’s background in commerce, noting, ‘the President speaks your language – the language of commerce. He grew up in that ecosystem; he knows how businesses are run. He was the financial controller of Mobil.’
Shettima particularly praised President Tinubu’s courage in removing the fuel subsidy, a long-standing burden on successive administrations.
He acknowledged the strong resistance from the ‘oil cabal’, whom he described as wealthier than the Nigerian nation, but asserted that the President ‘refused to budge’ and ‘stood his ground because what he did was in the best interest of Nigerians.’
Earlier, NACCIMA National President Engr. Jani Ibrahim, who assumed his role a month prior at the association’s annual general meeting, commended the Vice President’s leadership as Chairman of crucial national economic bodies, including the National Economic Council (NEC), National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), PEBEC, and MSMEs.
Ibrahim noted that Shettima’s strategic engagement provides an invaluable platform for public-private collaboration towards sustainable national development.
“National prosperity is anchored on strong collaboration between government and private sector,” Ibrahim stated, recognising the private sector as the ‘engine of growth’ with the government providing the enabling framework.
He respectfully requested a mechanism for regular engagements, including bi-annual consultative sessions with the Vice President’s office, and advocated for the inclusion of organised private sector representatives in key government councils and technical bodies related to trade, industry, privatisation, and small and medium enterprises.
Engr. Ibrahim and his fellow executives were elected at the 65th Annual General Meeting, Conference and Investiture held in Ilorin, Kwara State Capital, last month.
