President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, according to a source close to the Presidency.
The source disclosed the development on Friday, saying the President would not attend the annual gathering of world leaders, which begins its high-level segment next week.
“Tinubu will not be attending the UN General Assembly,” the source said, without providing a reason for the President’s decision.
The development comes despite earlier indications that Tinubu was scheduled to attend the UNGA and deliver Nigeria’s national statement during the General Debate.
A provisional speakers’ list obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria had listed Tinubu as the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate on Wednesday, September 23.
He was expected to address the assembly between about 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time, corresponding to between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Nigerian time.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened on September 8, while the high-level General Debate is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 28 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had previously confirmed that Tinubu was expected to attend the gathering.
“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” Ibrahim had said.
The ambassador said Tinubu’s participation would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to present reforms being implemented by his administration and engage international stakeholders on issues affecting the country and the region.
Ibrahim had also identified border policing in West Africa as one of the issues expected to feature in Nigeria’s engagement at the assembly, describing porous borders as a major security challenge.
He said the Federal Government was working with the United Nations on a regional border-policing initiative and intended to seek broader international support for the programme.
Ibrahim had also disclosed that a meeting between Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump could take place on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Tinubu’s reported decision not to attend means the Presidency will have to determine who will represent Nigeria at the gathering. Vice-President Kashim Shettima is expected to be a possible representative, having represented the President at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025.
Tinubu personally attended the 78th UN General Assembly in 2023, while Shettima delivered Nigeria’s national statements at the subsequent two sessions.
The latest development follows Tinubu’s recent overseas engagements.
On August 30, the President departed Abuja for a three-week annual leave, with London as his first destination. The Presidency described the trip as a working vacation.
He later travelled to France, where French President Emmanuel Macron hosted him to a private dinner at the Élysée Palace.
Tinubu subsequently said the meeting reaffirmed the strong relationship between Nigeria and France and their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation.
Meanwhile, Singapore has invited Tinubu to visit the country as part of efforts to strengthen relations and deepen cooperation with Nigeria.
Ibrahim disclosed that Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, visited the Nigerian Permanent Mission House in New York and delivered a letter from Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam inviting Tinubu to Singapore.
The 81st UN General Assembly is being held under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
The annual high-level gathering brings together heads of state and government, ministers and senior officials from across the world to deliberate on issues including international peace and security, climate change and sustainable development.
