Nigeria has mobilized African ambassadors ahead of Monday’s opening of the United Nations’ critical budget negotiations, with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, leading the process.
Ibrahim, who chairs the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, hosted an interactive dinner for African ambassadors at Nigeria House in New York on Sunday night.
The meeting was held ahead of the committee’s first meeting of the 81st General Assembly session, which Ibrahim is expected to preside over.
Ambassadors from Morocco, The Gambia and Guinea, alongside the Chair of the African Group’s Fifth Committee experts, participated in the meeting and expressed the group’s full support for Ibrahim’s leadership.
The Nigerian envoy said the consultation aimed to brief African representatives on preparations for the session, to receive their concerns, and to build collective support ahead of the negotiations.
“I want to welcome everyone to this meeting. It’s going to be a continuous interactive meeting,” he said.
Ibrahim proposed holding similar consultations every two or three weeks to strengthen coordination between African ambassadors and their technical experts throughout the negotiations.
He thanked the African Group for supporting his election as committee chair and pledged to justify the confidence placed in Nigeria.
“I can assure you that I will do my best to make sure that the confidence you reposed in me is not abused or misused.
“Together, we’ll foster our interests collectively to ensure that we get it right, particularly in matters of budget and administration,” he said.
The Nigerian diplomat said protecting Africa’s interests would remain a key priority during the deliberations, insisting that the continent should engage with the international system on an equal footing.
“Africa is never treated as a second-class citizen,” Ibrahim said.
The Fifth Committee is responsible for the United Nations’ administrative and budgetary affairs and recommends how resources should be allocated to implement mandates approved by member states.
As chair of the committee for the 81st session, Ibrahim will therefore play a central role in negotiations concerning the organization’s finances and administration.
The committee’s main session is scheduled to run from Oct. 5 to Dec. 4, with the proposed program plan and budget for 2027 among the key documents before delegates.
Ibrahim said one of his immediate priorities after assuming the chairmanship was ensuring that relevant reports reached member states early enough to allow for proper scrutiny.
“If we don’t have a report, there is no way we can move forward in the Fifth Committee.
“Our experts are the ones doing the bulk of the job, and they need to have the report at hand,” he said.
The Nigerian envoy also highlighted the connection between efficiency, effectiveness and financial accountability in the management of the UN.
He said member states could not properly assess the organization’s plans without understanding the figures and financial assumptions behind them.
“You cannot separate efficiency from effectiveness; they work hand in hand. What drives the plan? The figures,” Ibrahim said.
He urged African ambassadors to maintain close collaboration with their technical experts, stressing that diplomatic positions should be informed by the expertise of officials directly involved in the budget negotiations.
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The Fifth Committee’s agenda covers administrative and financial matters assigned to it by the General Assembly, with supporting reports providing the basis for negotiations.
Monday’s opening will mark the beginning of an intensive negotiating period during which member states will scrutinize spending proposals, administrative arrangements and resources required to implement UN mandates.
Ibrahim said the goal was to combine strong technical preparation with political coordination to secure fair and effective outcomes for Africa and other UN groups.
