Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu administration to unlocking the vast socio-economic potential of Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites, stressing that collaboration with stakeholders, especially state governments, will be key to achieving this goal.
Shettima made the remarks on Thursday while receiving a delegation from the UNESCO International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) Nigeria National Committee (NNC), led by its chairman, Dr. Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Vice President noted that although Nigeria has been slow in tapping into the benefits of geo-heritage, “it is better late than never,” adding that the Tinubu administration is working to reposition the country across all sectors.
“We have changed the narrative in all spheres of our national life—whether social, economic, cultural, sports, agriculture, education, or international diplomacy,” he said.
Shettima commended the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for their efforts in safeguarding Nigeria’s geo-heritage.
He further lauded UNESCO IGGP’s alignment with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its focus on sustainable geoscience development in areas such as climate change, hydro-geology, geo-hazards, and geo-dynamics.
“There are immense economic and developmental benefits of geo-heritage—jobs, sustainable tourism, peace in host communities, and international research funding,” Shettima said, urging all stakeholders to “come on board and work as a team to reposition this country.”
Earlier, Dr. Isyaku requested federal government support to complete the mapping and inventory of Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites, as well as ongoing geoscience projects nationwide.
He noted that the establishment of the Nigerian committee, five decades after the global body’s creation, has finally placed the country within the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) framework.
He pledged that the committee would align with the Renewed Hope Agenda by driving climate resilience initiatives and raising public awareness about the benefits of geosciences.
Also present at the meeting were NGSA Director-General and UNESCO IGGP NNC Secretary, Prof. Olusegun Ige; President of the Geological Society of Nigeria, Uba Saidu Malami; Secretary-General of NATCOM UNESCO, Dr. Olagunju Lateef; Director of the National Geoscience Information Centre, Mrs. Grace Okpala; Co-founder of DigGeoNaija, Dr. Ganiyu Mosuro; and Deputy Director, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Ishaku Muhd Ganu, among others.
