The Presidency has explained President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying he is currently on his annual leave and has mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Tinubu’s decision to stay away from the high-level UN gathering should not be interpreted as a reduction in Nigeria’s diplomatic standing.
Idris said Shettima was attending the General Assembly with the full mandate of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“President Tinubu is currently on annual leave, and his decision to ask the Vice President to lead Nigeria’s delegation is neither unusual nor a diminution of the country’s diplomatic standing,” the minister said in a statement on Monday.
Shettima arrived in New York on Monday to lead the Nigerian delegation and is expected to deliver the country’s national statement during the General Debate.
He will also hold high-level meetings and bilateral engagements with world leaders, international organisations and development partners.
According to Idris, the Vice President’s engagements will focus on Nigeria’s priorities in peace and security, economic development, climate action, reform of the global financial architecture, sustainable development and international cooperation.
“Nigeria will therefore be fully and effectively represented throughout the high-level session,” he said.
The clarification followed renewed public debate over Tinubu’s absence from the annual gathering of world leaders.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had also said the country would retain its designated position at the General Assembly and be adequately represented by Shettima and other senior officials.
The latest development came after the Presidency announced on August 30 that Tinubu had departed Abuja for a three-week annual leave in Europe, with London as his first destination.
The President subsequently travelled to France, where the State House reported that he held engagements during his working vacation, including a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on September 18.
Tinubu’s absence has nevertheless attracted criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who questioned the President’s decision not to attend the UNGA in person.
The issue also revived earlier expectations that Tinubu would personally attend this year’s General Assembly.
Ibrahim had said in July that arrangements had been made for the President to attend, including plans for him to sit close to United States President Donald Trump.
Shettima has now taken over the Nigerian delegation and said the country would use the UNGA platform to advance its national interests and push for reforms to global institutions to reflect current economic and demographic realities.
The 81st UN General Assembly General Debate is scheduled to run from September 22 to 28, 2026, under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”