Tinubu to address UNGA in September
—To collaborate with UN to address porous borders in West Africa
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has confirmed he will attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York and deliver a high-profile speech on Nigeria’s reform successes.
The Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, ,Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with the President at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Ambassador Ibrahim, who is chairman of the UN Budget Committee also said that the President would be working with the UN on how to tackle porous border in the West African subregion that has heightened insecurity in the area.
“I can tell you the President has graciously agreed to attend the UNGA meeting of the United Nations,” he said.
“He has a speech to give to the whole world about his reform success in Nigeria, and that has been slated for September. So Nigeria will be effectively in UNGA.”
In addition to the main address, the President has agreed to attend selected side events focused on critical domestic priorities, including power generation, education, and hospital management.
But, he said they would avoid overloading the President’s itinerary.
“There are side event meetings for Mr. President to attend, which includes generation of power, issues that have to do with energy,” he said. “There’s another side event meeting on education, as well as hospital management… But we don’t want to crowd his itineraries.”
Of immediate regional significance was Mr. Tinubu’s renewed commitment to strengthening border security across West Africa.
According to him, the President pledged close cooperation with the United Nations on border policing to address porous frontiers and mounting cross‑border threats.
“The President reiterated his commitment to border policing,” he said. “This time around, the President will be working with the United Nations to look into the West Africa border.
“A lot of peacekeeping effort is coming in here. I can assure you the President is going to put a lot of effort into border policing for West African countries.”
He said the President gave “specific directive on what to do instantly,” and promised to raise West Africa as a case study for coordinated UN-backed border policing when the matter is taken back to UN headquarters.
“These are the kind of things the UN is established for. We are not established to look at domestic criminal matters in Oyo,” he added. “As far as we are concerned, we look at that. West Africa border policing is very important, and the UN, I can assure you, will give support in respect of West Africa border policing.”
He also hinted at a potentially symbolic encounter between President Tinubu and the U.S. President Donald Trump during the General Assembly.
Ambassador Ibrahim said Mr. Tinubu will be seated “very, very close” to Mr. Trump in the front row during the General Debate.”
On whether Tinubu would meet with Trump at the sUNGA since there has not been any physical meeting between the two men so far, Senator Ibrahim said. “Well, I won’t be able to tell you that, but I can tell you clearly that President Tinubu will be sitting very, very close to Donald Trump in the front row of the United Nations General Assembly. Don’t ask me how and how that was arranged, but he will be sitting.”
He added that Mr. Tinubu’s speech has been scheduled for roughly 10:45 a.m. New York time — about 2:00 p.m. in Nigeria — ensuring that the address would be broadcast live at a time when Nigerians will be awake to follow it.
“He will be speaking at a time that Nigeria will not be sleeping,” he said. “So everybody will listen and see live what the President will be delivering.”
The President’s UN appearance and the pledge to partner with the UN on West African border security come amid rising concerns over cross‑border crime and regional instability.
If followed by concrete UN collaboration and on‑the‑ground measures, the initiative could mark a significant regional security pivot for Nigeria and its neighbours.
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