President Bola Tinubu has directed his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA in New York to enable his concentrate on addressing domestic issues, the presidency has said. .
Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, said this in a statement on Thursday while revealing that contrary to the practice in recent years, President Tinubu will not be leading the Nigerian delegation to UNGA.
According to the statement, the President who recently return from China and the United Kingdom decided to forgo the UNGA trip to enable him to focus on the emerging challenges in Nigeria, especially, the devastating flood being experienced in some parts of the country.
As the leader of the Nigerian delegation, Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement and other events on the sidelines of the UNGA 79 on behalf of the President, the statement indicated.
“President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the UK, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.
“At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings,” said the statement.
The 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will open on Tuesday, 10 September 2024.
The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 24 September 2024.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme, “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,” will run from Sept. 24, to Sept. 28.
