The Federal Government of Nigeria will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dalberg and Campo/Campos groups in pursuant of its Green Legacy Programme.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, made this known at a meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, July 28, 2025.
Shettima, while playing host to the groups who navigated Ethiopia’s 46 billion tree planting success, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the green revolution initiative.
“We have very tall and ambitious project here and where there is a will there is always a way.
“But experience is not something you buy in the market square, you have to have it and you have earned it by supporting the Ethiopian Government to succeed.
“We are optimistic of the 20 billion trees. If Ethiopia, a hilly country, made up of high lands and mountains can succeed in planting 46 billion trees, then I believe our 25 billion is even a modest figure.
“So, I want us to start planting up to 10 billion trees,” the vice-president averred.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a transformational leader bent on redefining the meaning and concept of leadership in Africa.
Shettima added Tinubu remained the most courageous leader in the contemporary history of Nigeria.
According to him, Tinubu is willing to take risks and far reaching decisions to transform the Nigerian economy and hence the reason why Nigeria will record success in this endeavor.
Meanwhile, Shettima had also played host to the Secretary General of the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC), Manssour Mussallam.
Shettima urged the OSC to look inward to come up with ingenious solution towards addressing developmental challenges amongst its member states.
The vice-president stated that the South constituted for than 70 per cent of the global population.
“Part of the reasons why I was eager to meet with you has to do with the core mandate of the organisation of Southern cooperation buildings balance and inclusive education system.
“And in this age of economic nationalism, the South needs to look inward to come up with ingenious solution towards addressing developmental challenges amongst its member states,
“If you add China and India as part of the global south we constitute the chunk of the global solution. For me and my boss we are very passionate about education.
“Africa missed the agricultural age, we missed the industrial age. We are now in the post-industrial age, knowledge driven post-industrial age post industrial revolution.
“People are talking of Artificial intelligence, biotechnology and we are in a unique position to take advantage of these opportunities. For one Africa is a young continent,” he said.
Earlier, Mussallam sought the support of the Nigerian Government to establish the South-South Technology Transfer Centres designed to facilitate exchanges of technologies amongst its member states
He expressed gratitude to the government and people of Nigeria for its visionary decision to become a founding member state of the OSC and one of the first countries to ratify its charter.
He also sought the support of Tinubu and Shettima to reinforce cooperation with Nigeria to ensure that the country benefits more its membership with the OSC family.
Mussallam said, “Your Excellency, as you are aware, the Organisation of Southern Cooperation is relatively new into government organisations.
“We were born in January 2020 with the conviction as our countries, Latin America and Asia that it was necessary for us to finally have an organisation that is our own with an executive capacity that enable South South Cooperation.
“And in this regards the Secretariat on the direction of the General Assembly has for the upcoming two years set up a programme founded upon six pillars.
“Building knowledge powered societies which of course we have a number of flagship initiatives including the establishment a Southern Research and Innovation and Application Fund that will bridge the funding gaps.
“Of course, the second is to become the drivers and this is why I have my under Secretary for Technology with me today.”
He stated the duo desired to become drivers rather than remaining passengers and that they should transit from mere consumers to producers of technology.
Musasllam added, “And in this regard of course, we have a number of flagship initiatives that had been launched, one of which being the Southern Commission for Artificial intelligence.
“And one of the key projects that we have for the upcoming three years that we want to start implementing in 2026 is the establishment of South South Technology Transfer Centres designed to facilitate exchanges in technologies amongst our continent
“We believe that Nigeria will be particularly well suited given its leadership in that field and its vision under your government to host the African centre and alongside the Latin America and the Asia South East representative.”
By Salisu Sani-Idris