The Presidency has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the high-level meeting, which is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 28, 2026.
The development puts an end to weeks of uncertainty over whether the President would personally attend the annual global gathering.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Osodi, said Tinubu’s decision was influenced by his focus on domestic priorities and other international engagements.
According to the Presidency, the President’s absence should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in Nigeria’s international engagements.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, also said the country would be adequately represented at the General Assembly, with Shettima occupying Nigeria’s designated front-row seat during the high-level session.
Ibrahim noted that it was not unusual for countries to be represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers when their presidents were unable to attend major international meetings.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and other senior government officials are also expected to accompany the Vice President.
Tinubu’s absence marks his third consecutive year of not physically attending the UN General Assembly. The development has already attracted criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has called for an explanation and raised concerns about the diplomatic and economic opportunities associated with presidential participation at the global gathering. These are Atiku’s stated concerns, rather than established consequences of the President’s absence.
The 81st UN General Assembly will bring together world leaders and senior government representatives to discuss a wide range of international issues.
