Tinubu to address world leaders at UN General Assembly on September 23

President Bola Tinubu will join world leaders to address the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) General Debate in New York, United States, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Tinubu is scheduled as the 10th speaker during the morning session on day two of the high-level General Debate holding from September 22 to September 28 at the UN headquarters.

A provisional list of speakers shows that Tinubu will deliver his statement during the morning session.

The president will speak at about 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time (4:30pm Nigerian time).

He will join a line-up of 193 world leaders, including over 150 heads of state and government, and more than 40 others including vice presidents, deputy prime ministers, ministers and other senior government officials.

As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz da Silva will open the debate on September 22, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the host country president.

The theme for UNGA 81, to be presided over by Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

The week-long high-level debate will be a busy outing for Tinubu, who is expected to participate in several high-level meetings, side events and major summits on climate action, sea-level rise, and pandemic preparedness.

Tinubu will have a high-level meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose two-term tenure ends on December 31, 2026.

Tinubu is also expected to meet with the outgoing UN Deputy Secretary-General, Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed, who holds the most senior role by an African and has been in the saddle since 2017.

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However, it was gathered that speaking slots were still subject to adjustments depending on attendance.

Nigeria has historically enjoyed goodwill that ensures prominent positioning on the first or the second day.

Tinubu attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023 in person while Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, has confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the 2026 UNGA.

“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” Ibrahim said recently.