Fresh Details Emerge From Tinubu’s Meeting With Shettima In Lagos

Vice President Kashim Shettima has visited President Bola Tinubu in Lagos following the President’s return to Nigeria after his recent trip to the United States, where Shettima represented him at the 2026 United Nations General Assembly.

The visit was disclosed on Saturday by Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media. Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Shettima said he had remained in regular contact with Tinubu throughout the President’s time abroad.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the Vice President said advances in technology had enabled Tinubu to remain updated on developments in Nigeria despite being outside the country.

Shettima explained that he and the President spoke almost every other day, allowing him to brief Tinubu on developments and key issues affecting the country.

The Vice President also defended some of the major economic policies introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates.

Shettima urged Nigerians to remain patient with the government, acknowledging the economic difficulties being experienced by citizens while maintaining that measures were being put in place to cushion the impact.

He recalled that, according to the administration’s assessment, Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at about $3.9 billion when the Tinubu government assumed office, which he said was insufficient to finance fuel imports for one month.

Shettima argued that Tinubu demonstrated the political will to implement difficult economic reforms that previous administrations had avoided. He maintained that the reforms were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges.

While acknowledging the hardship faced by Nigerians, the Vice President expressed confidence that the difficulties would ease with time and assured citizens that additional government interventions were being developed.

Among the measures he announced was a planned e-logistics initiative in the North-East involving 10,600 electric tricycles, 300 buses and e-taxis. He said the government was also developing programmes aimed at supporting students and other vulnerable groups.

Shettima further addressed the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections, acknowledging that political activities were already gaining momentum. He said the administration would continue to combine governance with political activities as the elections approach.

The Vice President’s meeting with Tinubu comes shortly after the President returned to Lagos following his overseas engagements, with the Presidency indicating that Tinubu would hold a number of strategic meetings while in the state.