President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that he will attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled to hold in New York in September.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with the president.
According to Ibrahim, Tinubu approved the budget for Nigeria’s participation in this year’s UNGA and confirmed he would be present at the global gathering.
“The president was able to give us his word. Now he will come to UNGA this September,” Ibrahim said.
He noted that Tinubu would also participate in several side events focusing on key sectors, including energy, education and hospital management.
The envoy said the president’s attendance would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to present the reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.
Tinubu personally attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions.
Ibrahim added that the president intends to use the UN platform to engage global stakeholders on strengthening border policing in West Africa, describing the region’s porous borders as a “major security challenge”.
“So, border policing will be fine. These are the kind of things that the UN is established for,” he said.
He explained that the Federal Government is already working with the UN on a regional border policing initiative and would seek wider international backing for the programme during the assembly.
The envoy also disclosed that a meeting between Tinubu and US President Donald Trump could take place on the sidelines of the event.
According to Ibrahim, the Nigerian leader is expected to sit in the front row and deliver his address to the General Assembly at about 10:45 a.m. New York time.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will open on September 8, while the general debate is scheduled for September 22 to 28, 2026.
The annual event will bring together heads of state, government officials and ministers from across the world to discuss major global issues, including climate change, sustainable development, international peace and security.
This year’s session will be presided over by a representative of the Asia-Pacific Group in line with the UN’s regional rotation system.