President Bola Tinubu has left Nigeria for the United States to participate in the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The presidency released a statement announcing this on Sunday afternoon.
This marks Tinubu’s inaugural attendance at the UNGA since taking office as president in May.
During his visit, the president is slated to engage in bilateral meetings with several global leaders, including Joe Biden, the President of the United States, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Union Commission, on the sidelines of the summit.
Ajuri Ngelale, the president’s spokesperson, mentioned that Tinubu will also meet with Brad Smith, Global President of Microsoft, and Nick Clegg, Head of Global Affairs for Meta Technologies. The discussions with these representatives will revolve around strategies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation and harness artificial intelligence.
Additionally, Tinubu is scheduled to deliver his inaugural national statement at the UN headquarters on September 19.
Furthermore, he will address American business leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce and participate in the NASDAQ closing ceremony, making him the first African president to do so.
The 78th UNGA session is set to take place from September 18 to 26 in New York. The theme for this year’s UNGA is “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”.