By Muhammad Mamman
President Bola Tinubu will deliver Nigeria’s address at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, joining global leaders for the high-level General Debate.
According to a revised provisional list of speakers obtained from the UN headquarters, Tinubu is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, 24 September, during the afternoon session. His slot is expected around 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. Nigerian time), making him the 17th world leader to speak on the second day of the debate.
The 2025 gathering brings together 195 leaders, including 98 heads of state, five vice-presidents, 44 heads of government, four deputy prime ministers, 37 ministers, one crown prince, and four delegation chairs.
As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the session, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, representing the host nation.
UN officials, however, noted that the schedule remains subject to change should Tinubu be unable to attend in person. Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him last year, unusually maintaining Nigeria’s presidential speaking slot on the opening day—a rare diplomatic achievement credited to Nigeria’s standing within the international community.
Movses Abelian, UN Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, explained that the revised list “reflects changes in the level of representation (upgrades and downgrades) and exchanges among Member States,” and would be updated until the debate commences.
Themed “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights”, UNGA 80 opened on 9 September with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock sworn in as President of the Assembly. Baerbock, Germany’s former Foreign Minister, becomes only the fifth woman in history to preside over the Assembly, pledging inclusive and courageous leadership as she accepted the ceremonial gavel from her Cameroonian predecessor, Philémon Yang.
The high-level debate will run from 23 to 29 September, forming the centrepiece of a week-long series of summits and commemorations, including the 80th Anniversary of the UN, the SDG Moment, the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Climate Summit, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, and the launch of a Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
