Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after completing his spiritual journey, the lesser pilgrimage (Umrah) at the Holy Mosque of Makkah (Masjid al-Haram) in Saudi Arabia.
This was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications. The statement, titled ‘Shettima Returns to Abuja After Umrah in Saudi Arabia,’ emphasized the Vice President’s time at the sacred site and his prayers for Nigeria's peace and stability.
During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Shettima offered prayers at the Holy Mosque, seeking divine blessings for peace to prevail in Nigeria. He was quoted saying, “Our prayer is for peace to prevail in our land. May Allah grant our land peace and social harmony.”
In addition to praying for peace, Shettima also sought divine guidance for the leadership of Nigeria, from the federal level down to the local government. His spiritual reflection and prayers were aimed at ensuring prosperity and social harmony for the nation.
Before embarking on his spiritual journey, Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration of a $315 million oil production and storage facility owned by Oriental Energy Limited in Dubai, UAE. This trip marked another high-profile international engagement for the Vice President, who has been actively representing the administration on various occasions worldwide.
Since the start of his international trips, Shettima has spent 61 days abroad, undertaking 12 trips to various countries, and accumulating over 200 hours of flight time. His global engagements have included visits to Rome, Italy; St. Petersburg, Russia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Havana, Cuba; Beijing, China; Iowa and New York in the United States; Davos, Switzerland; Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; and Stockholm, Sweden. These trips have been crucial for strengthening diplomatic ties and enhancing Nigeria's global presence.
