By Onilede Titi Faith
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to address the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
According to a revised provisional list of speakers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tinubu will speak during the afternoon session of the General Debate at about 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. Nigerian time).
He is listed as the 17th speaker of the day, joining over 195 representatives of member states, including 98 heads of state, five vice presidents, 44 heads of government, and other senior officials.
As tradition dictates, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
UN officials noted that the speaker lineup is subject to change if Tinubu does not attend in person.
Last year, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu on the opening day of the General Debate, an unusual move credited to Nigeria’s goodwill and diplomatic standing at the UN.
The 80th UNGA session, which opened on September 9, is being presided over by Germany’s former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the fifth woman in history to lead the Assembly.
In her inaugural address, she pledged inclusive leadership and urged stronger global action on war, poverty, and climate change.
This year’s debate will hold under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights.”
The high-level week, running from September 22 to 30, will also feature several major meetings, including commemorations of the UN’s 80th anniversary, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Moment, the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution, the Climate Summit, and the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
The deliberations are expected to shape new multilateral commitments on sustainable development, peace, human rights, and global governance.
