President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, in person.
The development follows the Presidency’s announcement that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after spending three weeks on vacation in Europe.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, September 20.
According to the statement, Tinubu has directed Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA.
The President’s absence was further confirmed by a provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which showed that Shettima would represent Nigeria during the high-level General Debate.
Tinubu had been listed as the 10th speaker for the morning session on the second day of the debate, scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.
The 81st UN General Assembly session commenced on September 8, 2026, while the high-level week is scheduled for September 22 to 29 in New York City.
