The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has ended in New York, but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national statement continues to reverberate both at home and abroad.
Speaking on his behalf, Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered a forceful address that reaffirmed Nigeria’s role as Africa’s leading voice on the world stage.
Tinubu warned that the UN risks “growing irrelevance” unless it undergoes sweeping reforms chief among them a permanent Security Council seat for Nigeria and the African continent, citing Africa’s vast population, economic weight, and peacekeeping record.
“We have transformed from a colony of 20 million, absent from decision-making tables, to a sovereign nation of 236 million with one of the youngest and most dynamic populations on earth,” he declared.
Tinubu also backed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, describing it as “the most dignified path to peace,” while urging global leaders to put human lives above politics.
On domestic issues, he highlighted his administration’s fight against extremism “with values and ideas” and defended ongoing economic reforms.
He further called for a binding global mechanism for sovereign debt restructuring, warning that Africa’s $685 billion debt load poses risks to worldwide stability.
Other key proposals included restructuring the global financial system governing Africa’s mineral wealth, bridging the digital divide, and ensuring fair benefit-sharing from strategic resources.
Shettima’s polished delivery drew praise and underscored his rising stature as Tinubu’s trusted envoy. On the sidelines of UNGA, he held talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, and potential investors in Nigeria’s reform agenda.
Despite criticism from opposition figures over Tinubu’s position on Palestine, analysts say the speech struck a balance between empathy and statesmanship, marrying domestic priorities with a bold global vision.
With this UNGA address, Tinubu has placed Nigeria at the heart of the conversation on reforming global governance—while Shettima ensured the message was delivered with authority.
