Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on African institutions, including the African Union (AU), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Afreximbank, to support the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (CRMI) in boosting the continent’s ability to confront global threats.
Speaking at the 24th International Conference of CRMI in Lagos, Shettima—represented by Dr. Nurudeen Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion—stressed that Africa cannot address challenges such as climate change, pandemics, cyberattacks, terrorism, and disruptive technologies in isolation.
“For over two decades, the Institute has been a beacon of foresight, resilience, and preparedness,” Shettima said, describing risk management as a discipline of national importance. He added that the creation of the Federation of African Risk Management Association was a milestone in enabling Africa to confront risks on its own terms.
The Vice President reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to building resilience through community-based early warning systems for floods and droughts, microinsurance for vulnerable groups, and social protection schemes for farmers.
Themed “Global Risks, Local Solutions,” the conference gathered policymakers, regulators, and private sector leaders to deliberate on Africa’s response to global disruptions.
CRMI President and Chairman of its Governing Council, Kelvin Ugwuoke, emphasized that homegrown strategies are vital for the continent. He warned that risks from climate change, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and geopolitical conflicts—including the Russia–Ukraine war—pose direct threats to Africa’s food security, economic stability, and social cohesion.
Ugwuoke also revealed that a bill before the National Assembly seeks to institutionalize risk management in Nigeria’s national policy, underscoring CRMI’s push for wider adoption of risk management principles across public and private sectors.
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