Just In: Why Tinubu Will Not Attend 79th United Nations General Assembly

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Naija News reports that the schedule for the 79th UNGA is as follows:

Opening of the 79th session: 10 September 2024 | A/INF/79/1

General debate: from Tuesday, 24 September, to Saturday, 28 September, and on Monday, 30 September 2024

Summit of the Future: Sunday, 22 September, and Monday, 23 September 2024 | Resolution 76/307

High-level plenary meeting on addressing the existential threats posed by sea level rise: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 | Resolution 78/319

High-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: Thursday, 26 September 2024 | Resolution 78/27

High-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance: Thursday, 26 September 2024 | Resolution 78/269

In a statement released on Thursday, the presidency disclosed that Tinubu would not be attending the UN Summit because he wants to focus on domestic issues.

According to the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, Tinubu wants to stay back to tackle challenges facing the country.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Mr President will not be attending this year’s United Nations General Assembly because after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, he wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.”