Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will address the 80th Session of the high-level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, 24 September .
According to a revised provisional list of speakers obtained by NAN from the UN headquarters, Tinubu is scheduled to speak on the second day of the debate during the afternoon session at about 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. Nigerian time). He will be the 17th world leader to deliver his remarks on that day.
The Nigerian president will join 195 world leaders lined up to address the gathering, including 98 heads of state, five vice-presidents, 44 heads of government, four deputy prime ministers, 37 ministers, one crown prince and four chairs of delegation.
As tradition dictates, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the traditional second speaker as leader of the host country.
According to UN sources, the speaking order is subject to change depending on whether some leaders, including Tinubu, attend in person. In 2024, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria and unusually spoke on the first day, maintaining Tinubu’s slot. Diplomats described the move as a rare feat, credited to Nigeria’s goodwill in the international community and the diplomatic manoeuvring of its UN mission.
Movses Abelian, UN Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, explained that the list continues to evolve:
“The current revised list reflects changes in the level of representation (upgrades and downgrades) and reflects exchanges among Member States. Please note that this list will continue to be updated until the start of the General Debate as changes are communicated by Member States.”
The theme of the 80th General Assembly debate is “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”
The 80th session formally opened on September 9 with the inauguration of Annalena Baerbock of Germany as President of the Assembly. Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, becomes only the fifth woman in history to preside over the UNGA. Taking her oath on the original 1945 Charter, she pledged to lead with courage and inclusiveness.
“Member States must unite in addressing global crises, from war and poverty to climate change,” she urged, after receiving the Assembly’s ornate gavel from her predecessor, Philémon Yang of Cameroon.
The high-level week of UNGA 80 will run from September 22 to 30, featuring the general debate and several special meetings. These include the High-level Meeting to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the UN, the SDG Moment, the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, the Climate Summit, and the High-level Meeting to Launch the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, among others.
