President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, making it his third straight absence since taking office in 2023.
Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation, alongside Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal, ministers and other officials.
In a statement, Tinubu said Shettima would deliver Nigeria’s national statement and take part in meetings on development, climate action and other key issues. The UNGA General Debate runs from September 22 to 28, 2026.
Nigeria’s UN envoy, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, said Tinubu’s absence would not affect Nigeria’s diplomatic role or its front-row seat. He said over 60 per cent of world leaders scheduled to speak would not attend personally.
Ibrahim had initially said that Tinubu had no issues with the United States and would sit beside President Donald Trump at the event, but his earlier claim now appears to contradict the current situation.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, however, demanded an explanation, saying Tinubu’s absences in 2024, 2025 and 2026 had become a pattern. He said, “Presidential absence on the global stage has consequences.”
International relations experts were divided. Dr Riyauddeen Zubairu Maitama called the repeated absence “fishy”, warning it could hurt Nigeria’s influence, while Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru linked it to Tinubu’s US controversies.
But Dr Wasiu Kewulere said the absence could be a diplomatic strategy and does not alone determine Nigeria’s global influence.
