UN Address: President Tinubu Takes Global Stage on Sept. 23

By Saheed Olatunji, Reporter

President Bola Tinubu will speak at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

He will take the podium as the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level debate, which runs from September 22 to September 28.

A draft schedule shows Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu will speak in the morning session around 11:30 a.m. New York time (4:30 p.m. Nigerian time).

President Tinubu will join 193 world leaders—including over 150 heads of state and government, alongside vice presidents, ministers, and other senior officials.

As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz da Silva will open the debate on Sept. 22, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the host country President.

The theme for UNGA 81, to be presided over by Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

The week-long high-level debat will be a busy outing for Tinubu, who is expected to participate in several high-level meetings, side events and major summits on climate action, sea-level rise and pandemic preparedness.

The Nigerian leader will have a high-level meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose two-term tenure ends on Dec. 31, 2026.

Tinubu is also expected to meet with the outgoing UN Deputy Secretary-General, Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed, who holds the most senior role by an African and has been in the saddle since 2017.

Sources at the UN told NAN, however, that speaking slots were still subject to adjustments depending on attendance.

Nigeria has historically enjoyed goodwill that ensures prominent positioning on the first or the second day.

Tinubu attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023 in person while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

Shettima, who delivered Nigeria’s national statement, unusually retained Nigeria’s day-one speaking slots, credited to diplomatic manoeuvring by the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN.

Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, has confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the 2026 UNGA.

“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” the diplomat said recently.

The Nigerian envoy said Tinubu’s participation would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase the reforms being implemented by his administration to the international community.

Jimoh added that Tinubu would also use the UN platform to engage 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 would seek broader international support for the effort during the assembly.

The permanent representative also said there could be a meeting between Tinubu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the event.

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will open on Sept. 8 while the general debate holds from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28.

The annual gathering brings together heads of state, government leaders, ministers and top-level government functionaries to deliberate on global issues.

These issues include climate change, sustainable development, and international peace and security.