President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, SaharaReporters has exclusively learnt.
A top source close to the Presidency told SaharaReporters on Friday that Tinubu would not be attending the annual gathering of world leaders, which begins next week.
“Tinubu will not be attending the UN General Assembly,” the source said, without disclosing the reason for the President’s decision.
The development comes after weeks of reports and official statements indicating that Tinubu was scheduled to attend the UNGA and deliver Nigeria’s national statement during the General Debate.
A provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had indicated that Tinubu was scheduled to be 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, or 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 hold from September 22 to 28 at the UN headquarters in New York.
The expected attendance of Tinubu had also been confirmed publicly by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim.
“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” Ibrahim had said recently.
The envoy had said Tinubu’s participation would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.
Ibrahim also said the President was expected to 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.
He said the Federal Government was collaborating with the UN on a regional border-policing initiative and planned to seek broader international support for the effort during the assembly.
Ibrahim had also disclosed that there could be a meeting between Tinubu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Tinubu’s reported decision not to attend the gathering means Nigeria’s representation at the General Assembly will now have to be determined by the Presidency. Tinubu will likely be represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The President attended the 78th UN General Assembly in person in 2023, while Vice-President Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Shettima delivered Nigeria’s national statement at both sessions.
The latest development also follows Tinubu’s recent overseas engagements.
On August 30, SaharaReporters reported that Tinubu departed Abuja for Europe to begin a three-week annual leave, with London as his first destination.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the trip was described by the Presidency as a working vacation.
Tinubu subsequently travelled to France, where French President Emmanuel Macron hosted him to a private dinner at the Élysée Palace.
Tinubu said after the meeting that his conversation with Macron reaffirmed the strong friendship between Nigeria and France and their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation.
“Our conversation reaffirmed the strong friendship between Nigeria and France, as well as our shared commitment to deepening cooperation and building a mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations,” Tinubu said in a post on his official X account on Friday.
“I thank President Macron for his warm hospitality and friendship,” he added.
Meanwhile, Singapore has invited Tinubu to visit the country as it seeks to strengthen its relationship and deepen cooperation with Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, disclosed this in a statement by the Nigerian Mission House at the United Nations in New York.
According to Ibrahim, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, visited the Nigerian Permanent Mission House and delivered a letter from Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam inviting Tinubu to visit Singapore.
The UNGA 81 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 around the world to deliberate on global issues, including international peace and security, climate change and sustainable development.
