Tinubu Set to Speak at UN General Assembly

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is set to address the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during its high-level General Debate at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, September 24.

According to a revised provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tinubu is scheduled to speak on the second day of the debate, during the afternoon session around 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. Nigerian time). He will be the 17th speaker of the day.

This year’s General Debate will feature 195 leaders, including 98 heads of state, five vice presidents, 44 heads of government, four deputy prime ministers, 37 ministers, one crown prince, and four delegation chairs. As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, representing the host country.

Sources at the UN noted that the speakers’ list is still being updated and could change if Tinubu does not attend in person. Traditionally, heads of state speak on the first two days of the debate, while vice presidents and other leaders take the floor in the following days.

Last year, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu and spoke on day one—an unusual occurrence made possible through Nigeria’s strong diplomatic standing and maneuvering at the UN.

Movses Abelian, UN Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, explained that the revised list reflects adjustments in the level of representation and exchanges between member states, and will continue to be updated until the debate begins.

The 80th session of the UNGA opened on September 9 with Annalena Baerbock of Germany inaugurated as President of the Assembly, becoming the fifth woman in history to hold the position. In her remarks, she urged unity in tackling global crises such as war, poverty, and climate change.

The high-level General Debate will run from September 23 to 29 under the theme “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.” Events marking the high-level week will take place from September 22 to 30, including the UN’s 80th anniversary commemoration, the SDG Moment, the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, the Climate Summit, and a High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.