VICE President Kashim Shettima will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
A statement on Saturday, September 20, by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, said the Vice President would attend the anniversary session of the UN on Monday, September 22, before participating in the general debates running through September 28.
The UN General Assembly is the United Nations’ main legislative and policymaking body, a global forum where all member states debate the world’s most urgent challenges, such as climate change, poverty, inequality, peace, and global health.
Every September, world leaders gather at the UN headquarters in New York for a High-level Week, featuring speeches and negotiations aimed at building consensus on international issues.
The 80th session opened on September 9, 2025, with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock elected as President of the Assembly. Beginning September 23, heads of state and government leaders will deliver national statements during the General Debate.
This year’s gathering also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a shared global plan to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity by 2030.
Alongside the General Debate, special high-level meetings will address non-communicable diseases and mental health, the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the World Programme of Action for Youth.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria vice president will attend a special Climate Summit for Heads of State and Government hosted by the UN Secretary-General, where Nigeria is expected to unveil its new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
He will also join global leaders at a high-level roundtable on Adequate and Affordable Housing hosted by the Kenyan president, and hold several bilateral meetings aimed at expanding economic and development cooperation.
“After attending UNGA, the Vice President will leave for Frankfurt, Germany, where he is slated to meet with officials of the Deutche Bank before returning to Nigeria,” the statement stated.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M