President Bola Tinubu is set to join world leaders in addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) General Debate on Wednesday, September 23, in New York.
According to a provisional schedule obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tinubu is listed as the 10th speaker for the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate, which is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 28 at the United Nations headquarters.
The Nigerian president is expected to deliver his address between 11:30am and noon New York time, corresponding to between 4:30pm and 5pm Nigerian time.
Tinubu will join representatives of 193 countries, including more than 150 heads of state and government, alongside over 40 other senior officials such as vice-presidents, deputy prime ministers, ministers and other government representatives.
In line with established tradition, Brazil’s President Luiz da Silva is expected to open the General Debate on September 22, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who will speak as the president of the host country.
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 have a busy schedule during the high-level week, with plans to participate in several high-level meetings, side events and major summits focusing on issues including climate action, rising sea levels and pandemic preparedness.
The Nigerian leader is also expected to hold a high-level meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term in office will end on December 31, 2026.
He is further expected to meet outgoing UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a Nigerian who has held the position since 2017 and is the most senior African at the organisation.
However, UN sources told NAN that the speaking schedule could still be adjusted depending on the attendance of world leaders.
Nigeria has traditionally secured prominent speaking positions during the first or second day of the General Debate as a result of the goodwill it enjoys within the international community.
Tinubu personally attended the 78th UN General Assembly in 2023, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Shettima delivered Nigeria’s national statement and, unusually, retained the country’s day-one speaking slots, a development attributed to diplomatic efforts by Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, has confirmed that Tinubu will attend the 2026 UN General Assembly.
“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” the diplomat said recently.
Ibrahim said Tinubu’s participation would provide Nigeria with an opportunity to present the reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.
He added that the president would use the UN platform to engage international stakeholders on 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,” the ambassador said.
According to Ibrahim, the Federal Government is working with the UN on a regional border-policing initiative and intends to seek wider international backing for the programme during the General Assembly.
The Nigerian envoy also disclosed that Tinubu could meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the event.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will officially open on September 8, while the General Debate is scheduled for September 22 to 28.
The annual gathering brings together heads of state, government leaders, ministers and senior government officials from around the world to discuss major global concerns, including climate change, sustainable development, international peace and security.