President Muhammadu will depart Nigeria for New York on Sunday to participate in the 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73).
UNGA73 officially opened on September 18.
The theme of this year’s session is “Making the United Nations relevant to all People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.”
In a statement on Saturday, Femi Adesina, spokesman of the president, said the highest point of Buhari’s participation in the meeting would be his address to the assembly on Tuesday.
“The president’s presentation of Nigeria’s nationalsStatement is expected to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to international peace and security; sustainable socio-economic development; disarmament and denuclearisation; youth and women empowerment; climate change; rule of law and human rights; among others,” the statement read.
“He is also expected to particularly canvass international support for the fight against corruption; the return of illicit assets; counter-terrorism and insurgency; curbing irregular migration; re-settling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); recharging the receding Lake Chad; and calls for the reform of the United Nations, especially the expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council to make that vital principal organ of the global organisation reflect regional and equitable geographical representation.”
The spokesman said Aisha, wife of the president, would attend a welcome reception by Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, and his spouse for heads of state and government and their spouses.
“The Nigerian leader and his delegation will participate in a High-Level meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis organised by the World Health Organisation as Nigeria currently ranks seventh amongst the high TB-burden countries globally, and second in Africa,” it read.
“The Nigerian delegation is expected to attend the Mandela Peace Summit, which is a High-Level Meeting on Global Peace in honour of the centenary birth of the late South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela.
“Other side-events lined up for the Nigerian delegation include: High-Level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit; the Second Annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum; High-Level Meeting on Action for Peace-Keeping; Commemoration and Promotion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; High-Level Meeting on the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa; and Pathway to Localising a Global Agenda.”
Adesina said during his stay in New York, Buhari would have meetings with world and African leaders including Bill Gates, with a view to promoting national and African interests.
“He will also grant audience to a select group of Nigerian professionals based in the United States,” it read.
Buhari will be accompanied by Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo; Geoffrey Onyeama, foreign affairs minister; Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Isaac Adewole, minister of health; and Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others.
