President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) General Debate on Wednesday, September 23, in New York.
According to a provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tinubu is scheduled to be the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate, which runs from September 22 to 28 at the UN headquarters.
The Nigerian president is expected to speak between 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time, corresponding to 4:30 p.m. Nigerian time.
Tinubu will join representatives of 193 countries, including more than 150 heads of state and government, as well as vice presidents, deputy prime ministers, ministers and other senior government officials.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is scheduled to open the General Debate on September 22, followed by United States President Donald Trump, in keeping with the UN tradition of having Brazil speak first and the host country follow.
The theme for UNGA 81, which will be presided over by Bangladesh’s Khalilur Rahman, is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Tinubu is expected to participate in several high-level meetings, side events and summits focusing on issues including climate action, sea-level rise and pandemic preparedness.
He is also scheduled to meet outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. The president is further expected to meet UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a Nigerian who has held the position since 2017.
UN sources said the speaking schedule remained subject to adjustments depending on the attendance of world leaders.
Nigeria has traditionally secured an early speaking slot during the General Debate. Tinubu attended the 78th UN General Assembly in person in 2023, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, recently confirmed Tinubu’s planned attendance, saying the president had given his assurance that he would participate in the September meeting.
Ibrahim said Tinubu’s presence would give Nigeria an opportunity to present the reforms of his administration to the international community.
He also said the president 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.
According to the envoy, the Federal Government is collaborating with the UN on a regional border-policing initiative and would seek broader international support for the effort during the assembly.
Ibrahim also disclosed that a meeting between Tinubu and Trump could take place on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will officially open on September 8, while the high-level General Debate will take place from September 22 to 28.
The annual gathering provides a platform for world leaders and senior government officials to deliberate on major global issues, including climate change, sustainable devsecurities. international peace and security.
