Tinubu to address UN General Assembly later this month as part of its 80th anniversary

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has been listed to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday September 24 as part of the festivities associated with the body celebrating its 80th year of existence.                                                     

Created in 1945 at the end of World War Two, the United Nations has grown into a body that represents every single nation on earth and has managed to by and large maintain peace, preventing the outbreak of any major global conflict. As part of the 80th anniversary celebrations, a revised provisional list of speakers has been drawn up with President Tinubu speaking on the second day of the gathering.

President Tinubu is scheduled to deliver his address to other world leaders during the afternoon session around 8.30pm local time, which is 2.30pm Nigerian time. He will be the 17th world leader to speak on day two of the general debate,  joining the gathering of 195 world leaders made up of 98 heads of state, five vice-presidents, 44 heads of government and four deputy prime ministers.

Others speakers at the event will include 37 ministers, one crown prince and four chairs of delegation. President Luiz da Silva of Brazil will be the first world leader to present his address to the 78th session as it is tradition, followed by the US President Donald Trump, the traditional second speaker, being the host country.

Sources at the UN indicate that President Tinubu's speaking slot might change if he would not be attending the general debate in person. According to the UN traditions, heads of state are speakers on the first and second day while vice-presidents speak from the third day.

Vice president Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu in 2024 and spoke on the first day of the debate, maintaining Nigeria's slot, which diplomats said was very unusual as per tradition. That rare feat was credited to the goodwill that Nigeria enjoys in the international community and the diplomatic manoeuvring of the Nigerian diplomats at the UN.

Moses Abelian, the under-secretary general for General Assembly and Conference Management said the current revised list reflects changes in the level of representation and exchanges among member states. He added that the theme of the debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly is Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.

On Tuesday September 9, the 80th session of the UNGA opened with the inauguration of a new president, Annalena Baerbock of Germany. A former German foreign minister, Ms Baerbock becomes only the fifth woman in history to preside over the general assembly, taking over from Philémon Yang of Cameroon.

Ms Baerbock called on member states to unite in addressing global crises, from war and poverty to climate change, pledging to lead with courage and inclusiveness. As part of the 80th anniversary celebrations, a high-level week will kick off on September 22 and run through to September 30, during which world leaders will gather to attend the general debate and a series of conferences.