Nigeria will address the UN General Assembly on Thursday afternoon, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima delivering the country’s national statement for the third consecutive year.
An updated provisional speakers’ schedule obtained by the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) places Nigeria fourth in the afternoon session of
the General Debate on Sept. 24.
Nigeria’s Thursday slot places its statement on the third
day of the General Debate, traditionally one of the most closely watched events
of UN high-level week.
The afternoon session begins at 3pm New York time and runs
until 9pm, while Shettima is expected to speak between 4pm and 4:30pm (9pm and
9:30pm Nigerian time).
President Bola Tinubu was initially scheduled to be the
eighth speaker on Wednesday morning after he moved two spots from the previous
10th spot.
UN protocol allows presidents to speak at the high-level
General Debate before vice-presidents, prime ministers and ministers.
NAN reports Tinubu, on Sunday, directed Shettima to, again,
lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New
York.
Shettima joins 73 Heads of State, 45 Heads of Government, 49
ministers, 11 vice-presidents and one crown prince for the 81st General
Assembly high-level week.
Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President, said
Shettima would deliver Nigeria’s national statement and outline the country’s
positions on major international issues.
Thursday’s appearance will mark the third successive UN
General Assembly at which Shettima will represent Tinubu in the General Debate.
Shettima represented the President at the 79th Session in
2024 and again delivered Nigeria’s statement at the 80th Session in 2025.
Tinubu personally addressed the 78th Session of the General
Assembly in September 2023, months after assuming office as president.
With the latest announcement, Shettima has represented the
President at the annual gathering of world leaders in 2024, 2025 and now 2026.
The Presidency said the Vice-President would lead a
high-level delegation comprising Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara
Governor Dauda Lawal, ministers and other senior officials.
Besides the national statement, Shettima is expected to
participate in high-level meetings on issues considered strategically important
to Nigeria and Africa.
The Vice-President will hold bilateral meetings with foreign
leaders, international organisations and development partners on the sidelines
of the Assembly.
The 81st UN General Debate opens on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and
continues through Saturday before concluding on Monday, Sept. 28.
The UN’s annual debate provides Heads of State, Heads of
Government and other senior representatives an opportunity to outline national
priorities before the international community.
The theme of the 81st Session is “Restoring trust, managing
transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”
The session is being presided over by Khalilur Rahman of
Bangladesh, President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.
The General Assembly brings together all 193 UN Member
States, each with equal representation in the organisation’s principal
deliberative and policymaking body. (NAN)
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