President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, in person.
The development comes after the Presidency announced that Tinubu would return to Nigeria following his three-week vacation in Europe.
Stanley Nkwocha, spokesperson to Vice President Kashim Shettima, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
The statement said Tinubu had directed Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UN General Assembly.
Tinubu’s absence was also confirmed after a provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that Shettima would represent Nigeria at the high-level General Debate.
Tinubu had been listed as the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly began on September 8, 2026, while the high-level week is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 29 in New York City.