Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to tapping into the socio-economic benefits of the country’s geo-heritage sites. Speaking in Abuja, Shettima emphasised that the administration under President Bola Tinubu is keen on fostering collaboration with subnational governments and relevant stakeholders to achieve this goal.
Addressing a delegation from the UNESCO International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) Nigeria National Committee led by Dr Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku at the State House, Shettima said, “It is better late than never to explore the economic and developmental benefits of geo-heritage sites for the betterment of the nation.”
Highlighting the administration’s broader transformative agenda, he added, “We have changed the narrative in all spheres of our national life—social, economic, cultural, sports, agriculture, education, international diplomacy.”
The Vice-President commended the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, headed by Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for their role in preserving Nigeria’s rich geo-heritage. He also recognised the UNESCO IGGP’s alignment with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its focus on sustainable geoscience themes such as climate change, hydro-geology, geo-hazards, and geo-dynamics.
Shettima urged the committee to broaden its work across Nigeria’s geo-political zones, assuring them of continued government support. “There are significant economic and developmental benefits of geo-heritage—jobs, sustainable tourism, and peace—in host communities, along with opportunities for international research funding,” he said.
He called on all stakeholders to join hands in repositioning Nigeria’s geo-heritage sector. “This country is blessed. All hands must be on deck to make it work,” Shettima stressed.
Dr Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku, IGGP Nigeria National Committee Chairman, appealed for federal support to complete a comprehensive inventory of Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites and ongoing geoscience projects nationwide. Noting the establishment of Nigeria’s national committee 50 years after the global body’s inception, he affirmed the country’s firm place within the International Geoscience Programme framework.
Isyaku pledged that the committee’s objectives align with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in advancing climate resilience, and promised efforts to raise public awareness of geoscience’s benefits.
