President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a source close to the Presidency, reversing earlier plans that had him scheduled to address world leaders on September 23.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly no longer expected to travel to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to a senior source close to the Presidency cited by SaharaReporters.
The reported change comes just days before the high-level General Debate is scheduled to begin, and after Nigerian officials had publicly confirmed that Tinubu would attend the annual gathering.
SaharaReporters reported on September 18 that a source close to the Presidency said the President would not attend the UN General Assembly. The source did not provide a reason for the reported decision.
The development has created a change in Nigeria's expected participation at one of the year's most important diplomatic meetings, where heads of state and government are scheduled to discuss international security, development, climate change, health, technology and other global issues.
Earlier plans had Tinubu addressing the UN
Until the latest report, all available indications from Nigerian diplomatic officials pointed to Tinubu attending the General Assembly in person.
Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had announced in July that Tinubu had committed to attending the 81st session.
Ibrahim said at the time that the President had "given us his word" that he would attend the September gathering. He also outlined issues Nigeria intended to raise during the meeting, particularly regional security and border policing in West Africa.
A provisional speaking programme also listed Tinubu among the speakers for the General Debate.
According to the schedule reported by Nigerian media, Tinubu was expected to be the 10th speaker during the morning session on Wednesday, September 23. His address was expected around 11:30 a.m. to noon New York time, equivalent to approximately 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nigerian time.
That plan would now have to change if the reported decision not to attend is confirmed by the Presidency.
UN General Debate begins next week
The United Nations has confirmed that the General Debate of the 81st session will take place at the UN headquarters in New York from September 22 to September 28, with the debate running from September 22 to 26 and continuing on September 28.
The high-level week will bring together heads of state, government leaders and other senior representatives from UN member states.
The official theme for the 81st session is "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."
The UN says the high-level week will also feature discussions covering areas including climate, health, artificial intelligence governance, peace and security.
The gathering is therefore expected to provide an important platform for countries to present their positions on major international issues and pursue diplomatic engagements on the sidelines.
Nigeria had planned to use the meeting for regional security
Before the latest report, Ambassador Ibrahim said Tinubu's attendance would provide Nigeria with an opportunity to engage the international community on West African border security.
The Nigerian envoy had described porous borders in the region as a significant security concern and said Nigeria was working with the United Nations on a regional border-policing initiative.
According to Ibrahim, Nigeria intended to seek broader international support for the initiative during the General Assembly.
The proposed focus reflects wider concerns about cross-border crime, trafficking, terrorism and other security challenges affecting countries in the West African region.
Ibrahim had also said Nigeria's participation would give the government an opportunity to present its ongoing reforms to an international audience.
However, those plans were based on the expectation that Tinubu would personally attend.
Possible meeting with Donald Trump
Another issue that had attracted attention ahead of the meeting was the possibility of a meeting between Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump.
Ibrahim had previously indicated that diplomatic arrangements could result in the two leaders meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The potential engagement had been mentioned as part of Nigeria's planned diplomatic activities around the gathering.
With the report that Tinubu may not travel to New York, however, it is unclear whether such a meeting would take place or whether any planned engagement involving the Nigerian President would be transferred to another Nigerian representative.
No official explanation for the reported change in Tinubu's attendance had been publicly provided in the reports reviewed.
Shettima could represent Nigeria
If Tinubu does not attend, Vice President Kashim Shettima could again lead Nigeria's delegation to the General Assembly.
Shettima represented Tinubu at the 79th and 80th sessions of the UN General Assembly in 2024 and 2025.
He also delivered Nigeria's national statement at those sessions.
Tinubu himself attended the 78th General Assembly in 2023, making that his most recent personal appearance at the UN gathering.
The Presidency has not, based on the latest reports reviewed, formally announced who will represent Nigeria if Tinubu does not travel to New York this year.
Consequently, any statement that Shettima will definitely attend should be treated as an expectation rather than a confirmed presidential decision until the Presidency issues an official announcement.
The reported reversal follows months of preparations
The latest development is notable because preparations for Tinubu's attendance had been publicly discussed for months.
In July, Ambassador Ibrahim told State House correspondents that the President had confirmed his participation. At the time, Nigerian officials were already discussing issues Tinubu would raise and the diplomatic engagements that could take place around the General Assembly.
A provisional programme subsequently listed Nigeria's President among the scheduled speakers.
As recently as August, reports based on the provisional UN speaking schedule continued to indicate that Tinubu would address the General Debate on September 23.
The latest report therefore represents a significant change from the publicly communicated plan.
SaharaReporters, however, attributed the new information to a source close to the Presidency rather than to a formal statement announcing the President's withdrawal.
That distinction is important because the final composition of national delegations can change before major international meetings.
Why the UN General Assembly matters to Nigeria
The General Assembly is one of the principal forums through which Nigeria conducts high-level multilateral diplomacy.
The United Nations describes the General Assembly as its main policy-making organ, with all 193 member states represented and each member having an equal vote.
The Assembly considers a wide range of international issues and also plays a role in decisions such as approving the UN budget and electing non-permanent members of the Security Council.
For Nigeria, participation provides an opportunity to engage governments and international organisations on issues affecting the country and the wider African region.
Nigeria has traditionally used the annual gathering to discuss matters including peace and security, development, climate change, economic cooperation and regional stability.
The 2026 meeting is also taking place against a backdrop of several major international challenges, including conflicts, artificial intelligence governance, climate-related concerns and discussions over the future leadership of the United Nations.
Reuters reported that world leaders are expected to discuss issues including the wars involving Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Iran, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Sudan's conflict and climate change during the high-level gathering.
Tinubu's previous UN appearances
Tinubu attended the 78th UN General Assembly in person in September 2023, during his first year as Nigeria's President.
At the subsequent two sessions, Nigeria was represented by Vice President Shettima.
The 2024 decision for Shettima to lead the delegation was linked at the time to the Presidency's stated focus on domestic matters, including the impact of flooding in parts of Nigeria.
Shettima also represented Nigeria at the 80th session in 2025.
Tinubu's reported decision not to attend this year's meeting would therefore mean another presidential absence from the high-level gathering, despite the earlier confirmation that he planned to be present.
No reason given for the reported decision
One of the key unanswered questions is why Tinubu will reportedly not attend.
The source cited by SaharaReporters did not disclose a reason for the change.
Other reports had previously raised questions about whether Tinubu would travel to New York, particularly because the Presidency had not publicly released a final travel announcement close to the meeting.
A September 14 report by Advocate had also said uncertainty surrounded Tinubu's attendance and noted that a list of 24 officials and senior presidential aides preparing for the delegation did not include the President. That report, however, did not establish that Tinubu had definitively decided not to attend.
As a result, the latest information should be understood as a reported change in plans based on a source close to the Presidency, rather than an explanation of the President's reasons.
Presidency expected to clarify representation
The immediate question now is who will lead Nigeria's delegation and deliver the country's national statement if Tinubu stays away.
Shettima has previously performed that role at the UN, making him a possible representative.
However, the final decision rests with the Presidency and should be confirmed through an official announcement.
The UN's high-level General Debate begins on September 22 and will continue through September 28.
Until Nigeria formally announces its delegation, the details surrounding the country's representation remain subject to change.
For now, the reported decision marks a departure from the attendance plans publicly announced earlier in the year. It also leaves several previously discussed engagements — including Tinubu's planned address and possible meetings with international leaders — uncertain.
