President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu is slated to speak at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level General Debate, held at the UN headquarters in New York on September 24, 2025.
According to a revised provisional speaker list, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from UN sources, Tinubu is scheduled to address world leaders on the second day of the debate, during the afternoon session at approximately 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 a.m. Nigerian time).
The document positions him as the 17th speaker on that day, among a distinguished group of 195 global 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.
The General Debate will commence with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, adhering to tradition as the first speaker, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the customary second speaker as the host nation’s leader.
A UN source informed NAN that the speaker list remains subject to change, noting, “The schedule may shift if President Tinubu does not attend in person.”
In 2024, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu and delivered Nigeria’s address on the first day of the debate, a rare occurrence given UN protocol, which typically reserves the opening days for heads of state. “This exception highlighted Nigeria’s strong diplomatic standing and the skillful negotiations by its UN delegation,” a diplomatic source told NAN.
Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, Movses Abelian,, explained the fluid nature of the speaker lineup: “The revised list reflects updates in representation levels and exchanges among Member States. It will continue to be updated until the General Debate begins as Member States communicate changes.”
The 80th UNGA session, themed “ _Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,”_ opened on September 9, 2025, with the swearing-in of its new president, Annalena Baerbock of Germany. Baerbock, a former German Foreign Minister and only the fifth woman to hold the presidency, urged global unity in tackling crises such as conflict, poverty, and climate change.
“We must unite to address the pressing challenges of our time,” she declared during her inauguration, accepting the ceremonial gavel from her predecessor, Philémon Yang of Cameroon, and pledging to lead with inclusivity.
The General Debate, running from September 23 to 29, will be part of a high-level week (September 22–30) featuring key events.
These include the High-Level Meeting to mark the UN’s 80th Anniversary, the SDG Moment, the High-Level Meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, the Climate Summit, and the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, among others.
NAN
