President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, making it the third consecutive year he has been absent from the annual global gathering since assuming office in 2023.
Tinubu has instead directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA, which runs from September 22 to 28, 2026.
The decision was announced on Sunday by Stanley Nkwocha, spokesman to the Vice President.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him and lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, United States,” Nkwocha said.
Shettima will lead a delegation comprising Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, ministers and other senior government officials.
The Vice President is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the General Debate, outlining the country’s position on issues including national development, peace and security, economic growth and international cooperation.
He will also participate in high-level meetings on development, climate action and other issues of strategic importance to Nigeria and Africa.
Before the announcement, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had said Tinubu would attend the session and that arrangements had been made for him to sit close to US President Donald Trump.
However, Ibrahim later dismissed concerns over Tinubu’s absence, saying it would not affect Nigeria’s role at the General Assembly.
He said it was common diplomatic practice for presidents to be represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers when they could not attend in person.
According to him, more than 60 per cent of world leaders scheduled to address the ongoing UNGA session would not attend physically.
Ibrahim also assured that Nigeria would retain its designated seating arrangement, including its prominent front-row position.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised Tinubu’s repeated absence from the UNGA and demanded an explanation from the President.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Tinubu was absent from the 79th UNGA in 2024, the 80th in 2025 and would now miss the 81st session in 2026.
He argued that three consecutive absences required an explanation, stressing that the UNGA provides opportunities for world leaders to hold bilateral meetings, negotiate partnerships and discuss trade, security and development.
Atiku also questioned whether Tinubu’s documented history with US law-enforcement agencies had influenced his decision to stay away from the gathering.
“Vice President Shettima may represent Nigeria capably, but representation by delegation cannot permanently substitute for the personal authority, visibility and responsibility of the President,” he said.
However, former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria and APC chieftain, Osita Okechukwu, defended Tinubu’s absence.
Speaking on Trust TV, Okechukwu said the Constitution provides for the Vice President to represent the President when necessary.
He said Tinubu’s absence should be viewed in the context of his other engagements, citing the President’s recent meetings with investors in France.
Experts have expressed differing views on the implications of Tinubu’s decision.
A lecturer in International Relations at Bayero University Kano, Dr Riyauddeen Zubairu Maitama, described the repeated absence as concerning and argued that the President’s physical presence could strengthen Nigeria’s position during high-level diplomatic engagements.
Maitama said the UNGA was not merely ceremonial, noting that it provides a platform for world leaders to discuss international issues, negotiate agreements and build diplomatic relationships.
He also suggested that controversies surrounding Tinubu’s records in the US could be among the factors influencing the decision, although this remains speculation.
Another career diplomat, Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, also linked Tinubu’s absence to issues surrounding the President’s relationship with the US.
He further criticised what he described as the government’s handling of foreign policy, including delays in appointing ambassadors.
However, an International Relations expert at Kwara State University, Dr Wasiu Kewulere, said Tinubu’s absence should not by itself be interpreted as a major setback for Nigeria.
Kewulere said physical attendance at the UNGA was not sufficient to determine a country’s international influence, which he said was also shaped by factors such as economic strength, military capability and a country’s role in global affairs.
He suggested that sending Shettima could provide the government with greater flexibility in dealing with sensitive diplomatic issues.
Kewulere also said Nigeria’s position on global conflicts and its relations with major powers could have informed the decision, particularly amid tensions involving the US and other geopolitical blocs.
He maintained that the reasons behind Tinubu’s absence might involve diplomatic considerations that were not publicly known.
The 81st UNGA General Debate is being held under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
