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Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday formally opened Nigeria House at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the country’s first-ever sovereign pavilion at the annual meeting as a statement of Nigeria’s renewed seriousness and readiness to engage the global economy as an active participant.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Shettima said nations do not prosper in isolation and stressed that Nigeria’s future growth depends on deliberate, structured engagement with the world.

“For the first time in our nation’s history, Nigeria stands at Davos with a sovereign pavilion of its own,” he said, adding that Nigeria House “reflects our intention, our seriousness, and above all our resolve to take a front-line seat in the discourse of the global economy, not as observers, but as participants with a clear sense of purpose.”

The Vice President noted that although Nigeria House was conceived as a whole-of-government platform, bringing together leadership across trade, investment, foreign affairs, energy, infrastructure, technology, climate and culture, its success would ultimately be driven by private enterprise.

In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said “government can open doors and de-risk environments; only enterprise can animate growth and translate policy into productivity”.

Shettima said the commissioning coincides with early dividends from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms, citing stronger non-oil growth and improved macroeconomic indicators.

He added that services, agriculture, finance and technology are expanding, while non-oil revenues now account for a larger share of government collections.

Inflationary pressures, he said, eased through 2025, foreign reserves improved, and stability returned to the foreign exchange market.

Inviting global investors to engage through the new platform, the Vice President said Nigeria House would host forward-looking conversations.

“Nigeria is open for business, and more importantly, open for collaboration. Progress is not a monologue; it is a dialogue,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, applauded Shettima’s support for the project, describing Nigeria House as a product of strong public-private partnership and a symbol of renewed national pride.

She said investment playbooks launched at the event outline opportunities across solid minerals, climate-smart agriculture, creative and digital sectors, aligning with the administration’s drive to rebuild trust and restore credibility.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yano, said Nigeria House would consolidate gains of ongoing economic transformation by attracting non-oil investments and advocating fairer access to finance for emerging markets.

The Lead Execution Partner, Omowunmi Imoukhuede, said the pavilion offers a rare chance to tell Nigeria’s investment story to the world.

The commissioning followed a Global Business Roundtable on resilient supply chains for the energy transition.

Dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Ude; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; heads of agencies and captains of industry.

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The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has endorsed the establishment of a centralised National Crisis Communication Hub (NCCH) to counter the growing threats of fake news, hate speech and artificial intelligence-driven misinformation in Nigeria.

Inuwa gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), led by its Chairman, Major-General Chris Olukolade (rtd.), following the successful conclusion of the maiden National Symposium on Digital Innovations in Crisis Communication.

The NITDA chief said misinformation often spreads faster than verified facts because of its “novelty factor,” noting that the disruption of traditional media by social platforms has empowered individuals and groups to disseminate harmful content with far-reaching economic and social consequences.

“There is a direct correlation between novelty and virality,” Inuwa said. “Misinformation is often packaged as something new or shocking, which allows it to outpace accurate information. The way forward is to build public trust through credible government action and strong, strategic partnerships.”

Warning that AI-generated deepfakes and automated propaganda would likely intensify before and during the 2027 political season, Inuwa stressed that these developments make the creation of a coordinated national response mechanism more urgent than ever.

On CCC’s 12-point resolution, NITDA outlined workstreams to fast-track implementation of the proposed hub. These include strengthening digital literacy and professional training by leveraging platforms such as Cisco NetAcad to equip journalists, media professionals and security spokespersons with skills in AI-content detection and ethical reporting.

The agency also proposed the expansion of crisis-communication conversations through regional symposiums across Nigeria to deepen grassroots participation and awareness. In addition, NITDA plans engagement with global technology companies to enable faster categorisation and takedown of content that poses risks to national security.

Cybersecurity collaboration also featured prominently, with Inuwa disclosing plans to work closely with the relevant cyber units of critical institutions to establish a multi-layered defence against digital threats.

Speaking, Major-General Olukolade said the call for a National Crisis Communication Hub was the central resolution of the recent symposium held at the National Defence College. He stressed that Nigeria must adopt proactive, predictive and digitally powered tools to manage emerging security and information threats.

According to him, the proposed centre would operate as an independent, multi-stakeholder platform designed to monitor and counter harmful content during sensitive periods such as elections, while safeguarding democratic principles and freedom of expression.

Olukolade also advocated the development of specialised mobile applications that would allow citizens to report crimes and emergencies in real-time, effectively transforming social media and digital platforms into tools for public safety and early warning.

Inclusivity formed a critical part of the discussions, with both NITDA and the CCC agreeing that digital innovation must amplify the voices of persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups, ensuring that emergency alerts and crisis information are accessible to all segments of society.

To translate the resolutions into action, NITDA and the CCC agreed to constitute a joint working team to document specific agreements and drive implementation throughout 2026, positioning the proposed hub as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s digital resilience against misinformation and emerging information threats.

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the digital rights of Nigerians through fair and well-considered digital legislation.

It also restated its dedication to accurate and innovative public communication as a way of strengthening institutional trust and improving service delivery across the country.

The House Spokesperson and Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Akin Rotimi, stated this during a joint capacity-building retreat of Legislative Aides and the House of Representatives Press Corps on digital governance and legislative reporting, organised by the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs with support from Paradigm Initiative in Abuja on Monday.

In his opening remarks, the House Spokesperson stressed that democracy works best when citizens are properly informed, noting that access to clear and reliable information is essential for meaningful public engagement and accountability.

He said “Our vision is clear: to position the 10th Assembly as The People’s House, a Parliament that is trusted, responsive, and results-driven. Our mission is equally clear: to deliver timely, factual, and innovative public communication that strengthens institutional credibility and supports effective service delivery.

“This retreat reflects a deliberate commitment by the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs to invest in professionalism, ethics, competence, and institutional coherence in legislative communication.

“It reflects a broader reform journey guiding the work of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs. Democracy functions best when citizens are well informed, when institutions communicate responsibly and when the media ecosystem upholds professionalism and public interest”.

Rep. Rotimi noted that “As the volume of digital-related legislation before the National Assembly continues to grow, the responsibility to report such matters with insight,
balance, and technical understanding also grows.

“This gathering is timely and strategic. The legislative environment now operates within complex questions of digital governance, data protection, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, online safety, and digital rights.

“The responsibility to interpret these issues accurately and present them clearly to the Nigerian people rests on two key groups represented here today: the accredited Press Corps covering the National Assembly and the media teams that support members and House leadership”.

In his goodwill message, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, Gbenga Sesan sad Nigeria’s desire to achieve a trillion dollar economy cannot be attained without digital security.

According to him, the media and youths in Nigeria can make digital communication an emergency issue.

While speaking on mapping digital legislation in Nigeria, Sesan took an overview of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, AI and Innovation Bills, Digital Rights and Freedoms Bills, National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill, Cybercrimes Acts amendments and the Child Online Access Protection Bill.

He explained that child protection laws affect adult access as they lead to “Over protection of documents/information in the guide of child protection”.

Earlier, welcoming participants, Chairman House Press Corps, Comrade Gboyega Onadiran commended the praised the organisers for the Initiative of putting together the event.

He noted that journalism has moved beyond headlines as the media.

“Now work in a digital ecosystem shaped by data, algorithms, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and online rights.

“How we understand these issues and how we explain them to the Nigerian public matters deeply.

“As members of the Press Corps, our duty is not just to report what happens in the House, but to make the work of Parliament understandable, credible, and relevant to citizens. This, we have been doing patriotically and ethically“, he stated.