President Bola Tinubu is preparing to depart from Abuja on Sunday for New York, where he will participate in the 78th UN General Assembly, taking place from September 19 to September 23. This will mark Mr. Tinubu’s first attendance at the UNGA. The theme of this year’s assembly is “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.”
Ajuri Ngelale, special advisor to the president on media and publicity, confirmed the details of the trip on Saturday in Abuja. On the first day of the high-level general debate of the 78th UNGA Session, Mr. Tinubu will deliver his inaugural national statement. Prior to the debate, he will join other world leaders in the high-level political forum on Sustainable Development (UN 2023 Summit on SDGs).
During his address, Mr. Tinubu will address key issues such as sustainable development, climate change, global cooperation, and the need to address inequalities and global humanitarian crises. He will also participate in various high-level meetings, including the high-level dialogue on financing for development, the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, and the UN Secretary General’s climate ambition summit.
In addition to these engagements, Mr. Tinubu is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Presidents of the European Union Commission, Brazil, and South Africa. He will also focus on advancing Nigeria’s economic development agenda by engaging with global leaders of transnational firms such as Microsoft, Meta Technologies, Exxon Mobil, and General Electric.
During his visit, Mr. Tinubu will seize the opportunity to explore cross-sectoral investment opportunities in Nigeria, which he will present to American business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he will conduct the closing ceremony of the trading session at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) Headquarters in New York, making him the first African President to do so. The Nigerian SMEs business summit will provide a platform for Mr. Tinubu to emphasize the growing role of Nigerian enterprises in global trade.
Accompanying Mr. Tinubu to the UNGA will be governors, ministers, and other top government officials involved in various programs of the 78th Summit’s agenda.
