When Nigeria Is Absent, Who Speaks for Nigeria?
There is a striking diplomatic contrast this week. As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains in France, where he has extended his working vacation by a few days. French President Emmanuel Macron, who received Tinubu for a private dinner in Paris only days ago, is in New York engaging other leaders on issues that include Ukraine, energy security and the future of international security arrangements.
The contrast is worth noticing, but it should not become the argument. A president is entitled to take leave, and Nigeria is not absent from the General Assembly. Vice-President Kashim Shettima is in New York representing the President and leading Nigeria’s delegation.
The deeper question is about statecraft: how does Nigeria decide where to deploy its highest level of political and diplomatic capital, and how does it know whether that deployment is producing results?
This is not a one-off absence. Tinubu attended the 78th General Assembly in 2023, his first as President. He did not personally attend the 79th in 2024 or the 80th in 2025, when Shettima represented him. Shettima is again representing him at the 81st session in 2026. This is therefore.....
John Onyeukwu
http://www.policy.hu/onyeukwu/
http://www.policy.hu/onyeukwu/
http://about.me/onyeukwu
“Let us move forward to fight poverty, to establish equity, and assure peace for the next generation.”
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“Let us move forward to fight poverty, to establish equity, and assure peace for the next generation.”
-- James D. Wolfensohn
This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete or destroy the message. Thank you.
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