We didn’t come to Davos, Switzerland, to dance “Buga”, but to sell the Nigerian brand – VP Shettima

"We cannot run away from the fact that Nigerian art and culture are creating waves in the global space. Nigeria has been out of the global scene for a while, and this is a forum for us to re-introduce Nigeria"

Samuel AkpanJanuary 18, 20241.2k

With netizens awash with the video of Vice-President Kashim Shettima dancing Kizz Daniel’s “Buga” in Davos, Switzerland, he says Buga is the biggest song in Nigeria but clarifies that they are in the country to sell the Nigerian creative economy.

Persecondnews reports that Day 3 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday witnessed the Nigeria Business Forum and the Nigerian Art, where Nigerian culture, cuisine, art, and heritage were showcased.

In an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, the Vice President said they successfully unveiled the Nigerian vision “Destination 2030 Nigeria,” which is aimed at positioning Nigeria as the leading global hub for art, culture, and creativity.

The 2030 vision is a national strategy with the vision of positioning the African giant as a leading influence on creative expression and cultural exchange.

Accelerating the transformation of the arts, culture, and creative economy into a primary force for economic growth and shared prosperity.

He said: “We cannot run away from the fact that Nigerian art and culture are creating waves in the global space. Nigeria has been out of the global scene for a while, and this is a forum for us to re-introduce Nigeria.

“Buga dance is almost our second national anthem, so we have to showcase Nigeria. We have Nigerians who are making waves in the art world and in the fashion industry, and our movies are shattering records on Netflix.

“We believe that we can maximally tap into our subpower; our fashion rules the West African region, so we are here to sell the Nigerian brand; Nigeria goes beyond con artists. Last week, the hottest news in the global finance world was about the sale of global infrastructure led by a Nigerian, Bayo Ogunlesi, for $12.5 billion to BlackRock.

“Nigerians are creating waves, and we have to be the ambassadors of our nation, showcasing our potential in fashion, so we are here to highlight our area of strength to sell the Nigerian brand.”