- President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th UN General Assembly, appointing Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation instead
- Shettima, the first Vice President to lead Nigeria’s delegation since 1999, will deliver the national statement and participate in key events
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend this year’s 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, instead appointing Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.
According to a statement by the president’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu, who recently returned from trips to China and the UK, has decided to focus on addressing domestic challenges, including the aftermath of severe flooding.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement, participate in key side events, and hold bilateral meetings. The General Debate, themed “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations,” will run from September 24 to September 28, 2024.
Shettima is the first Nigerian Vice President to lead the delegation to UNGA since the return to democratic governance in 1999. The only exception was Goodluck Jonathan, who represented Nigeria as Acting President at the 65th UNGA in 2010, while the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was in Saudi Arabia for health reasons.