Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to the World Trade Organisation and the multilateral trading system, stressing that sustained economic development requires cooperation among nations.

Vice President Kashim Shettima made the position known on Saturday during a meeting with the WTO Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the ongoing BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.

Shettima said Nigeria would continue to back efforts by the WTO to promote multilateralism and foster an international economic system based on cooperation rather than isolation.

He maintained that countries were increasingly interconnected and could not achieve meaningful prosperity by withdrawing from the global community.

“I believe the world is greater than one nation. We will continue to support the WTO in championing the cause of multilateralism,” Shettima said.

The Vice President also highlighted the contribution of migration to economic development, innovation and nation-building, arguing that countries and major cities had benefited significantly from people who moved across borders.

“Nations are built by immigrants. Even cities are built by people who came from outside, not just by the locals,” he said.

Using Nigerians living abroad as an example, Shettima said members of the diaspora had continued to make significant contributions in education, business and professional fields.

He cited a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center of 2024 US Census Bureau data, which showed that 67 per cent of Nigerian-born Black immigrants aged 25 and above in the United States had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.

Shettima described the figure as the highest proportion recorded among the major Black immigrant groups examined in the analysis.

The Vice President also praised Okonjo-Iweala for her leadership of the WTO and encouraged her to continue using her experience to advance global development.

“You are doing a very wonderful job at the WTO, but you still have a lot to contribute to humanity,” he told the WTO chief.

Okonjo-Iweala, who became the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, commenced her second four-year term as Director-General in September 2025.

Shettima is expected to address leaders of the BRICS alliance on Sunday, where he will outline Nigeria’s investment opportunities and areas for international partnership.

His presentation is expected to emphasise Nigeria’s call for a more inclusive global system while positioning the country as an attractive destination for foreign investment and strategic partnerships.

He will also highlight the economic objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, including reforms aimed at creating sustainable opportunities, expanding infrastructure and strengthening private-sector-led economic growth.