Vice President Kashim Shettima has met with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos after returning from New York, where he represented the President at the 2026 United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting was disclosed on Saturday by Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Shettima said he and Tinubu had remained in frequent communication while the President was outside the country.

He said advances in technology had allowed the President to stay informed about developments in Nigeria despite being abroad.

The Vice President also defended some of the administration’s major economic policies, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of exchange rates.

Shettima said the government inherited foreign reserves of about $3.9bn, which he described as insufficient to cover the country’s fuel import needs for a month. He argued that Tinubu’s decision to implement major economic reforms had helped prevent a deeper crisis.

While acknowledging the financial difficulties facing Nigerians, the Vice President appealed for patience, saying the government was working on measures to reduce the impact of the hardship.

Among the initiatives he highlighted was a planned e-logistics programme in the North-East, which he said would provide 10,600 electric tricycles, 300 buses and electric taxis.

Shettima added that the Federal Government was also developing programmes targeted at students and other vulnerable groups.

On the 2027 elections, the Vice President said the administration would continue to focus on governance while also participating in political activities.

Tinubu returned to Lagos after concluding his working vacation, which began with a trip from Abuja on August 30. He spent time in London before proceeding to Paris.