President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday depart for New York to
attend the 73rd Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73)
which officially opened September 18, 2018.
The theme for this year’s Session is: “Making the United Nations
relevant to all People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities
for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.”
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina, says, the high point of President Buhari’s
participation will be his address on Tuesday to the General Assembly on
the opening day of the General Debate.
The President’s presentation of Nigeria’s National Statement is expected
to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to international peace and
security; sustainable socio-economic development; disarmament and
denuclearisation; youth and women empowerment; climate change; rule of
law and human rights; among others.
He is also expected to canvass for the international support for the
fight against corruption; the return of illicit assets;
counter-terrorism and insurgency; curbing irregular migration;
re-settling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); recharging the receding
Lake Chad; and calls for the reform of the United Nations, especially
the expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council to
make that vital principal organ of the global organisation reflect
regional and equitable geographical representation.
The President and his wife, Aisha, will also attend a welcome reception
hosted by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and his spouse for
Heads of State and Government and their spouses.
President Buhari and his delegation will participate in a High-Level
meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis organised by the World Health
Organisation as Nigeria currently ranks seventh amongst the high
TB-burden countries globally, and second in Africa.
The Nigerian delegation is expected to attend the Mandela Peace Summit,
which is a High-Level Meeting on Global Peace in honour of the centenary
birth of the late South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner,
Nelson Mandela.
Other side-events lined up for the Nigerian delegation include:
High-Level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development; World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact
Summit; the Second Annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum; High-Level
Meeting on Action for Peace-Keeping; Commemoration and Promotion of the
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons;
High-Level Meeting on the Third Industrial Development Decade for
Africa; and Pathway to Localising a Global Agenda.
During the course of his stay in New York, in addition to the audience
with the UN Secretary-General, the Nigerian President is also expected
to have bilateral meetings with African and world leaders including Bill
Gates with a view to promoting national and African interests.
He will also grant audience to a select group of Nigerian professionals based in the United States.
Apart from his wife, President Buhari will be accompanied by Governor
Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey
Onyeama; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami;
Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; Minister of Industry, Trade and
Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; Minister of Budget and National
Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; and the Minister of State for Environment,
Ibrahim Jibrin.
Others on the presidential entourage include the National Security
Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director-General, National
Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; Comptroller-General, Nigeria
Immigration Service, Mohammad Babandede; and the Acting Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.