Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the high-level gathering.
The Presidency announced the development on Sunday, September 20, 2026, confirming that Tinubu has mandated Shettima to represent him at the annual United Nations meeting. The announcement brings an end to recent uncertainty over whether the President would personally attend this year’s General Assembly.
Shettima is expected to lead a high-level delegation that includes Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, federal ministers and other senior government officials.
The 81st UN General Assembly’s high-level General Debate is scheduled for September 22 to 28, 2026. This year’s theme is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Shettima’s assignment follows his recent representation of the President at major international engagements. Earlier this month, he led Nigeria’s delegation to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where he delivered President Tinubu’s message on reforming global governance and international financial institutions.
At the UN, Nigeria is expected to participate in discussions involving international cooperation and other major global issues. The broader 2026 General Assembly agenda includes artificial intelligence, climate change, conflicts and international security, among other issues.
The decision for Shettima to represent Tinubu is also a change from earlier plans. In July, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had indicated that Tinubu intended to attend the 2026 General Assembly. More recent reports, however, indicated that the President would not travel to New York for the meeting.
Shettima has previously represented Tinubu at the UN General Assembly, including the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025.
The latest announcement is a current development, published on September 20, 2026, ahead of the opening of the high-level UNGA proceedings.
Read the Presidency-related report