President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the high-level segment of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, with Vice President Kashim Shettima set to lead Nigeria’s delegation.
The development followed the Presidency’s announcement that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after his three-week vacation in Europe.
Spokesman to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, confirmed the President’s decision in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Nkwocha, Tinubu had directed Shettima to represent him and lead the Nigerian delegation at the UNGA.
The President’s absence was further confirmed by a provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which listed Shettima as Nigeria’s representative at the high-level General Debate.
Tinubu had initially been listed as the 10th speaker during the morning session of the second day of the General Debate, scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened on September 8, while the high-level week is scheduled for September 22 to 29 in New York City.
Shettima’s participation means the Vice President will deliver Nigeria’s address at the General Debate and represent the country in high-level engagements on global affairs during the week.
The UNGA high-level week brings together world leaders and senior government officials to deliberate on major international issues, including peace and security, sustainable development, global economic challenges and multilateral cooperation.