President Bola Tinubu will deliver Nigeria’s statement at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday, September 24.
According to a revised provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the UN headquarters, Tinubu is scheduled to speak on the second day of the high-level General Debate during the afternoon session, around 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. Nigerian time).
The Nigerian leader will be the 17th world leader to speak on day two, joining 195 other heads of delegation, including 98 presidents, five vice presidents, 44 heads of government, four deputy prime ministers, 37 ministers, one crown prince, and four chairs of delegation.
Traditionally, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, representing the host country.
UN officials, however, noted that the speaking schedule is subject to change if Tinubu does not attend in person, in line with long-standing UN traditions.
In 2024, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu on the first day of the debate, an unusual privilege credited to Nigeria’s strong diplomatic standing at the UN.
This year’s General Debate, themed “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights”, runs from September 23 to 29. The high-level week will feature several major conferences, including the SDG Moment, the 80th Anniversary Commemoration of the UN, the Climate Summit, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, and the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
The 80th UNGA session opened on September 9 with the inauguration of its new president, Annalena Baerbock of Germany — only the fifth woman in history to preside over the Assembly. She pledged to guide the body with courage and inclusiveness while tackling pressing global crises such as war, poverty, and climate change.
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