No fewer than six State Governors, seven ministers and some senior aides will be accompanying President Bola Tinubu to the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America (USA), on Sunday.
This platform understands that this year’s UNGA, which is themed “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and Sustainability for all,” will be the president’s first outing at the event.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu will be accompanied by Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State; Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Uba Sani of Kaduna State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
He added that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Coordinating Minister of the Economy & Finance, Mr Wale Edun, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Mohammed Pate; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite.
Ngelale revealed that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other senior government officials will also be present.
Giving full details of the president’s outline at the forthcoming event, Ngelale said on September 19, the first day of the High-Level General Debate of the 78th UNGA Session, President Tinubu will deliver his inaugural National Statement.
Before engaging in the General Debate, the President will join other world leaders to participate in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (UN 2023 Summit on SDGs).
The presidential aide further noted that the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development; High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response; UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit; High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage; High-Level Panel on Reform of the Global Financial Architecture, amongst others, while his focus would be on issues like sustainable development, climate change, global cooperation, and the imperative to address inequalities and global humanitarian crises.
According to him, the president is also scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Presidents of the European Union Commission, Brazil, and South Africa, and others in New York.
”The President will also advance his economic development agenda for aggressive investment attraction in meetings with the global leadership of transnational firms, such as Microsoft, Meta Technologies, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, and others.
”Furthermore, on the margins of UNGA, President Tinubu will detail emerging cross-sectoral investment opportunities in Nigeria in his address to American business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
”It is noteworthy that while engaging with officials at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) Headquarters in New York City, the Nigerian leader will have the honour of conducting the NASDAQ closing ceremony during its trading session, making President Tinubu the first African President to do this.
”The President will also address the Nigerian SMEs Business Summit, where he will seek to highlight the increasingly important role of Nigerian enterprises in global trade,” he said.
