Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria is keen to harness potential of science to confront economic challenges.
This is as he emphasised the need for international cooperation towards combating global challenges.
The Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Mr Olusola Abiola, in a statement, said Shettima, stated this while addressing World leaders at the ongoing G77+China Leaders’ Summit, in Cuba.
Shettima also spoke to an assembly of Heads of State and Government, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres and delegates from over 100 countries from the global South.
In his words, ” We must always remember that cooperation is our compass and the most realistic path towards maximizing the opportunities and resolving challenges before us.
” We must not allow geopolitical tensions in any corner of the world to deter us from forging a collective and mutually advantageous path forward, a roadmap of shared prosperity and progress.”
He, therefore, expressed Nigeria’s commitment to tow the path of partnership with member states of the G77+China towards addressing global challenges.
Shettima said: ” Allow me to reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with our fellow member nations of the G77 and China.
” We shall champion initiatives that harness the potential of science, technology, and innovation to confront economic challenges, particularly within the global south.”
On the theme of the summit, ” Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation,” Shettima underscored the prominent role played by science, technology and innovation in resolving challenges from the past to the present.
“Throughout history, science and technology have shaped the course of nations.
“The phases of the Industrial Revolution, from the first to the fourth, and from mechanization to automation, have determined the prosperity of those nations.
” It is crucial to acknowledge that the developing world found itself at a disadvantage in the earliest phases of these transformations, struggling to compete fairly as these revolutions swept across the globe,” he added.
