President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received the United Nations’ proposed $14 billion budget for 2027, presented by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, in Abuja.
The seven-volume document was presented to the President at his official residence in the State House, with Ibrahim describing the occasion as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s 66-year membership of the international organisation.
Ibrahim, who chairs the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters, said the presentation was particularly significant because it marked the first time a Nigerian representative had presided over the committee responsible for examining the organisation’s budget.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with Tinubu, the ambassador explained that the proposed budget had been formally presented to the Fifth Committee by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
He said the document covered the organisation’s regular expenditure, peacekeeping operations and other financial commitments.
According to Ibrahim, the proposed regular budget stands at approximately $3.4 billion, while about $8.5 billion is earmarked for peacekeeping operations, forming major components of the overall proposed expenditure.
The Nigerian envoy described his election as chairman of the influential committee as a significant diplomatic achievement, noting that the opportunity had placed Nigeria in a strategic position within the UN’s administrative and financial decision-making process.
He also described Tinubu’s receipt of the budget documents as a historic moment, given Nigeria’s leadership role in the committee.
“We don’t know when we’re going to do that again in history,” Ibrahim said, highlighting the significance of the development.
When asked about the benefits Nigeria could derive from its position in the UN budgetary process, the ambassador declined to make specific commitments, explaining that negotiations among member states were still ongoing.
He stressed that the proposed budget had yet to receive final approval and could undergo adjustments during deliberations by the Fifth Committee before being considered by the UN General Assembly.
“The budget still has to be approved. It’s a proposed budget,” he said.
Ibrahim explained that expenditure under the proposal would only proceed after the necessary approval processes had been completed.
To illustrate the scale of projects supported through the UN system, he cited a conference facility in Nairobi, Kenya, estimated to cost about $260 million.
The envoy, however, maintained that it was too early to determine the specific financial or developmental benefits Nigeria might secure from the ongoing budgetary process.
Ibrahim’s election as chairman of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on June 2, 2026, marked a significant diplomatic development for Nigeria, placing the country at the centre of deliberations on the organisation’s administrative and budgetary affairs.
Comments