WorldStage– Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, is set to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The decision, confirmed by Presidency sources, marks the third consecutive year Vice President Shettima will lead the Nigerian delegation at the premier global summit.
He previously represented President Tinubu at the 79th and 80th sessions of the assembly in 2024 and 2025.
The theme for this year’s high-level debate is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Shettima is expected to lead Nigeria’s delegation and present the country’s position on key global issues while engaging with world leaders, diplomats and other international stakeholders.
He will be accompanied to New York by a high-powered federal delegation.
The team includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa; the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele; the Minister of Trade, Jumoke Oduwole; and the Minister of Solid Minerals, Henry Dele Alake.
The high-level gathering will bring together leaders and representatives from across the world to deliberate on major issues including international peace and security, sustainable development, economic cooperation and global governance.
For Nigeria, the UNGA provides an important platform to articulate its national interests, strengthen diplomatic relationships and engage international partners on issues of strategic importance.
The global gathering brings together 193 world leaders and senior government officials to deliberate on pressing international challenges, including climate action, economic transformation, and regional security.
During the week-long summit in New York, Vice President Shettima is scheduled to deliver Nigeria’s National Statement during the General Debate.
The address is expected to highlight Nigeria’s domestic economic reforms, advocate for comprehensive restructuring of the UN Security Council—specifically permanent African representation—and push for increased international support for a West African regional border-policing initiative to curb persistent security issues.
In addition to addressing the main assembly, the Vice President will engage in several high-level sideline events and summits focused on pandemic preparedness and sea-level rise.
He is also slated to hold crucial bilateral meetings with world leaders, international development partners, and outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres to reinforce Nigeria’s diplomatic and strategic economic ties.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, noted that the delegation’s participation offers a vital platform to showcase the Tinubu administration’s ongoing institutional reforms to the global community.
The goal remains to attract foreign direct investment and build strategic partnerships that align with the country’s national development goals.
The Vice President, who recently returned from representing Nigeria at the 18th BRICS Summit in India, will be operating from The St. Regis hotel during his diplomatic engagement in New York.
As the Vice President represents the President, Nigeria’s positions and commitments at the global forum will form part of the country’s broader diplomatic and foreign-policy engagement.
