Nigeria Takes the Global Stage: Tinubu Set for UNGA 81

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

Tinubu is scheduled to be the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate, which will hold from September 22 to September 28 at the UN headquarters.
A provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shows that Tinubu is expected to deliver Nigeria’s statement between 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time, corresponding to 4:30 p.m. Nigerian time.
The Nigerian leader will join a lineup of 193 world leaders, including more than 150 heads of state and government, as well as over 40 other senior government officials, including vice presidents, deputy prime ministers and ministers.
Traditionally, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate on September 22, followed by United States President Donald Trump as the host country’s president.
The theme for UNGA 81, which will be presided over by Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
The week-long high-level debate is expected to be a busy outing for Tinubu, who will participate in several high-level meetings, side events and major summits focused on climate action, sea-level rise and pandemic preparedness.
Tinubu is also expected to hold a high-level meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose two-term tenure ends on December 31, 2026.
He is further expected to meet with the outgoing UN Deputy Secretary-General, Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed, who has held the senior African position at the UN since 2017.
However, UN sources told NAN that speaking slots remain subject to adjustments depending on attendance.
Nigeria has historically enjoyed prominent positioning on the first or second day of the General Debate, a development attributed to the country’s diplomatic goodwill.
Tinubu attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in person in 2023, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Shettima, who delivered Nigeria’s national statement, unusually retained Nigeria’s day-one speaking slots, which was credited to diplomatic manoeuvring by Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, has confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the 2026 UNGA.
The diplomat said Tinubu’s participation would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase the reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.
Ibrahim added that Tinubu would use the UN platform to engage stakeholders on border policing in West Africa, describing the region’s porous borders as a “major security challenge.”
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.
The permanent representative also disclosed that there could be a meeting between Tinubu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the event.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will officially open on September 8, while the high-level General Debate will hold from September 22 to September 28.
The annual gathering brings together heads of state, government leaders, ministers and top-level government officials to deliberate on global issues, including climate change, sustainable development, international peace and security.