Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has praised Kizz Daniel and Tekno’s 2023 hit song, ‘Buga,’ suggesting that it is gradually becoming the country’s unofficial second national anthem.
In an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, January 23, 2024, Shettima, who gained attention for participating in the Buga dance challenge in 2023, explained his involvement by emphasising the need to showcase Nigeria’s rich arts and culture on the global stage.
The Vice President highlighted the government’s overarching vision known as “Nigeria Destination 2030” and affirmed the commitment to promoting arts and culture as integral to achieving this grand vision. He emphasized the global impact of Nigerian arts and culture, stating that the country has been out of the global scene for quite some time, and platforms like the ‘Buga’ dance challenge provide an avenue to reintroduce Nigeria.
Shettima went on to describe the ‘Buga’ dance as more than just a viral trend, suggesting that it has taken on a symbolic significance liking to a second national anthem.
In his words, ”We have a grand vision called ‘Nigeria Destination 2030.’ We can not run away from the fact that Nigerian arts and culture are creating waves in the global scene. And Nigeria has been out of the global scene for quite some time. This is an avenue for us to reintroduce Nigeria. And the ‘Buga’ dance is almost becoming our second national anthem. So we have to showcase Nigeria.”