SPOTTED: Shettima in Switzerland for WEF with just five aides

Vice-President Kashima Shettima is currently in Davos, a town in Switzerland, for this year’s edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) with a small company.

TheCable understands that the number two citizen travelled with only five aides – his security detail and director of protocol – to Davos.

Previously — before President Bola Tinubu announced the downsizing of entourages — the figure would have been double.

A week ago, Tinubu cut down the size of his entourage, the vice-president, the first lady, and ministers.

The president directed that his own entourage be cut down to 20 people for international and local trips, while the vice-president is limited to five people for trips abroad and 15 within the country.

OUTRAGE OVER NIGERIA’S COP28 DELEGATION

The decision to cut down the entourage for public officers holders came about a month after there was outrage over Nigeria’s delegation to COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nigeria had the largest delegation in Africa after having a record number of 1,411. Nigeria and China with the same figure, had  the third largest number of delegates after UAE and Brazil.

Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian businessman, was among the delegation and was listed as Tinubu’s “confidante”.

However, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says only 422 people out of the record 1,411-member delegation from Nigeria were sponsored by the federal government.

CONFLICTS, CLIMATE CHANGE, AI TO TOP WORLD DISCOURSE AT WEF

This year’s WEF meeting will focus on conflicts, climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) among other issues.

Over 70 heads of state and government will be holding public and private speaking events at Davos.

Stanley Nkwocha, media aide to the vice-president, announced that his principal will be at the launch of the Private Sector Action Plan for African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA).

Nkwocha said Shettima would also chair a roundtable dialogue on Nigeria’s economic path and attend a special session dedicated to building trust in the global energy transition programme.

The curtains on this year’s WEF will close on Friday.