President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to address world leaders at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

The Nigerian president is expected to deliver the country’s national statement during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate.

A provisional programme obtained by PulseNets lists Tinubu as the 10th speaker, with his address expected to take place between approximately 11:30 a.m. and noon New York time. This corresponds to between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Nigerian time.

The high-level General Debate is scheduled for September 22 to 28 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The 81st session is expected to bring together representatives from all 193 UN member states, including more than 150 heads of state and government, alongside other senior government officials.

This year’s General Assembly is being held under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to open the high-level debate on September 22, followed by United States President Donald Trump, representing the host country.

Tinubu’s appearance will provide Nigeria with an opportunity to set out its position on major global issues and present the policies and reforms of his administration before the international community.

The President is expected to address issues affecting Nigeria and the broader African continent, with economic development, international cooperation, peace and security likely to feature prominently in his national statement.

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had earlier confirmed that Tinubu would attend the General Assembly.

“The president was able to give us his word. Now, he will come to UNGA this September,” Ibrahim said.

The ambassador said Tinubu’s participation would enable Nigeria to showcase the reforms being pursued by the administration to the international community.

Ibrahim also disclosed that regional security would be among the issues Nigeria plans to advance during the gathering.

According to him, the Nigerian government is collaborating with the United Nations on a regional border-policing initiative intended to tackle security problems linked to porous borders across West Africa.

“So, border policing will be fine. These are the kind of things that the UN is established for,” Ibrahim said.

Tinubu expected at UN side events

Beyond his national statement, Tinubu is expected to attend several meetings and side events during his stay in New York.

PulseNets learnt that issues including climate action, rising sea levels and pandemic preparedness are among the subjects expected to feature during the high-level engagements.

The Nigerian president is also expected to hold a meeting with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Guterres is due to leave office at the end of 2026 after completing his second term as Secretary-General.

Tinubu may also meet with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the Nigerian who has held the position since 2017.

There is also a possibility of a meeting between Tinubu and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the General Assembly. However, details of any such engagement have not been officially confirmed.

The 2026 appearance will mark Tinubu’s return to the United Nations General Assembly following his personal attendance at the 78th session in 2023.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025.

At both sessions, Shettima delivered Nigeria’s national statement and retained the country’s early position on the speaking programme.

The 81st Session of the UN General Assembly will formally open on September 8, while the high-level General Debate is scheduled to commence on September 22.

Tinubu’s UN visit comes amid US records controversy

The planned trip to New York comes as renewed attention continues in the United States over records relating to past allegations involving Tinubu and US law enforcement agencies.

On August 28, the Federal Bureau of Investigation submitted records connected to the matter to Judge Beryl Howell of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The records were not made public.

Instead, the FBI submitted the material under seal for the judge’s private review after the court directed the agency to meet deadlines in the case.

The development was reported by Politics Nigeria following the FBI’s submission of the records to the court.

The records concern investigations involving several individuals and allegations of drug trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.

In its court filing, the FBI said the records being sought were generated during investigations involving multiple individuals suspected of drug-trafficking offences.

“The responsive records herein were compiled in furtherance of the FBI’s investigation of multiple individuals for drug trafficking crimes,” the agency stated.

However, the FBI’s submission does not constitute a finding that Tinubu committed a drug-related offence.

It also does not mean that the Nigerian president has been convicted of any crime in the United States.

The documents remain under the judge’s review, with the court expected to determine what information, if any, can ultimately be made public.

In April 2025, Judge Howell directed the agencies involved to search for and process records responsive to the Freedom of Information Act requests, taking the dispute into another stage.

US lobbying firm renews claims

The controversy has also attracted renewed attention from Von Batten-Montague-York, a US-based policy advisory and lobbying firm that has been campaigning for greater disclosure of the records.

On August 31, the firm claimed that a proposed private meeting between Tinubu and Trump during the UN General Assembly would not take place.

The firm alleged that individuals within the Trump administration had indicated that Trump would not hold a private meeting with Tinubu because of allegations relating to heroin trafficking.

The allegation was made by the lobbying firm and has not been presented as an official statement from the US government.

The firm has continued to question the status of records held by US law enforcement agencies.

Earlier this month, it claimed that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration were separately reviewing files connected to allegations involving Tinubu.

“Update: We can now confirm that, separate from the ongoing FOIA court review, the @FBI and @DEAHQ are reviewing files connected to the heroin-trafficking allegations involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,” the firm said in a statement posted on X.

Presidency rejects criminal case interpretation

The Nigerian Presidency has rejected efforts to portray the Freedom of Information Act proceedings as a criminal case against Tinubu.

On September 3, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the matter was a civil dispute concerning access to government records.

“For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” the Presidency said.

The government also emphasised that the release or withholding of records under the US Freedom of Information Act does not, by itself, establish criminal liability.

Also Read: Drug Allegations: Proposed Meeting Between Trump, Tinubu at UNGA Won’t Happen, US Firm Claims

The Presidency further referred to a February 4, 2003 letter from the US Consulate in Lagos which stated that an FBI records check had found no criminal arrest records, wants or warrants for Tinubu at the time.

Tinubu has consistently denied wrongdoing in connection with the allegations surrounding the historical US proceedings.

His scheduled appearance at the 81st United Nations General Assembly will therefore place Nigeria’s diplomatic agenda and the President’s international engagements under renewed global attention as world leaders gather in New York.