Tinubu to address world leaders at UN general assembly September 23

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President Bola Tinubu will join world leaders to address the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly General Debate on Wednesday, September 23, in New York.

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Tinubu is scheduled to be the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate, which will be held from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28 at the UN headquarters.

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A provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria correspondent on Wednesday shows that Tinubu will deliver his statement during the morning session.

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The Nigerian leader will speak around 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time (4:30 p.m. Nigerian time).

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He will join a line-up of 193 world leaders, including more than 150 heads of state and government, and more than 40 others, such as vice presidents, deputy prime ministers, ministers, and other senior government officials.

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As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate on Sept. 22, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, as the host-country president.

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The theme for UNGA 81, to be presided over by Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

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The week-long high-level debate will be a busy outing for Tinubu, who is expected to participate in several high-level meetings, side events and major summits on climate action, sea-level rise and pandemic preparedness.

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The Nigerian leader will have a high-level meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose two-term tenure ends on Dec. 31, 2026.

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Tinubu is also expected to meet with the outgoing UN Deputy Secretary-General, Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed, who holds the most senior role by an African and has been in the position since 2017.

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Sources at the UN told NAN, however, that speaking slots were still subject to adjustments depending on attendance.

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Nigeria has historically enjoyed goodwill that ensures prominent positioning on the first or second day.

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Tinubu attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023 in person, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

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Shettima, who delivered Nigeria’s national statement, unusually retained Nigeria’s day-one speaking slots, credited to diplomatic manoeuvring by the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN.

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Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, has confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the 2026 UNGA.

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“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” the diplomat said recently.

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The Nigerian envoy said Tinubu’s participation would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase the reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.

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Jimoh added that Tinubu would also use the UN platform to engage stakeholders on border policing in West Africa, describing the region’s porous borders as a “major security challenge”.

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“So, border policing will be fine. These are the kind of things that the UN is established for,” the ambassador said.

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He said the Federal Government was collaborating with the UN on a regional border-policing initiative and would seek broader international support for the effort during the assembly.

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The Permanent Representative also said there could be a meeting between Tinubu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the event.

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The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will open on Sept. 8, while the General Debate will hold from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28.

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The annual gathering brings together heads of state, government leaders, ministers and top-level government functionaries to deliberate on global issues.

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These issues include climate change, sustainable development, and international peace and security. (NAN)

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