By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu has again delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking the third consecutive year he has personally skipped the global summit since taking office in 2023.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said on Monday that Tinubu is “currently on annual leave,” describing the delegation to Shettima as “neither unusual nor a diminution of the country’s diplomatic standing”. Idris insisted Shettima “carries the full mandate of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria” and will deliver the national statement.

However, the explanation has done little to quell public scrutiny. Tinubu last personally attended UNGA in September 2023 for the 78th session, shortly after his inauguration. He has since been absent from the 79th session in 2024, the 80th in 2025, and now the 81st in 2026—a pattern unmatched by any Nigerian president since the return of democracy in 1999.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, through his media aide Phrank Shaibu, demanded a “full explanation,” arguing that three consecutive absences “could no longer be dismissed as coincidence or routine delegation” but constituted “a pattern of presidential evasion”. Atiku questioned whether Tinubu’s “documented history with United States law-enforcement agencies has become a burden on Nigeria’s foreign relations”.

At the centre of the opposition’s claim is a long-standing U.S. forfeiture case in which $460,000 was held in an account linked to Tinubu, after American authorities alleged the funds represented proceeds of narcotics trafficking or were involved in prohibited financial transactions. Atiku also questioned why the administration spent up to $9 million on American lobbyists to improve Nigeria’s standing in Washington while the President repeatedly stays away from New York.

The Presidency has not directly addressed the drug-case allegation. A ruling party chieftain, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, dismissed the claims as “political propaganda,” noting that no U.S. court has reopened a criminal case or pronounced Tinubu guilty of drug trafficking.

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, had earlier announced that Tinubu would attend and that a seat had been secured for him near U.S. President Donald Trump. That seat remained empty.

Fifty youths have been trained in digital entrepreneurship and basic business skills as part of an initiative aimed at equipping young people with practical knowledge to establish and manage small-scale businesses.

The training, organised through a partnership between FARAMAZA Foundation and Brigade Zumunci Association, focused on developing the participants’ understanding of entrepreneurship, digital opportunities and basic business management.

The organisers said the programme was designed to provide participants with practical knowledge that could enable them to become more economically productive and pursue sustainable sources of livelihood.

At the end of the training, all 50 participants were presented with certificates of participation in recognition of their completion of the programme.

Speaking as chairperson of the event, Ambassador Nana Aisha said the partnership between FARAMAZA Foundation and Brigade Zumunci Association was established out of a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

Ambassador Nana Aisha said the initiative was intended not only to provide participants with training but also to expose them to opportunities through which they could translate knowledge into practical economic activities.

She urged the beneficiaries to put the knowledge and skills acquired during the training into practice by establishing productive ventures capable of improving their livelihoods.

According to her, empowering young people with entrepreneurial and digital skills could also contribute to wider socioeconomic development by creating opportunities for self-employment and business growth.

The chairman of Brigade Zumunci Association, Professor Muhammed Atiku, pledged the association’s continued support for the younger generation, saying it would continue to explore initiatives aimed at helping youths achieve their aspirations.

Professor Atiku said the association recognised the importance of investing in young people through programmes that could provide them with relevant skills and opportunities to become productive members of society.

He added that the training represented the association’s first initiative of its kind and expressed the organisation’s commitment to building on the experience gained from the programme.

The participants, in their separate remarks, expressed appreciation to FARAMAZA Foundation and Brigade Zumunci Association for providing them with the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills.

They said the knowledge gained from the training would help them pursue their entrepreneurial goals and explore opportunities in the digital economy.

The organisers also pledged to provide start-up packages to beneficiaries in subsequent editions of the programme as part of efforts to help participants move from training to actual business activities.

The organisers said the provision of start-up support would complement the skills acquired during the training and give future beneficiaries a better opportunity to apply their knowledge in establishing small-scale businesses.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, United States.

Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The 81st UNGA general debate will be held from September 22 to 28.

The theme of the UNGA is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

Mr Nkwocha said Mr Shettima would deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the general debate.

He said the statement would outline Nigeria’s position and priorities on major global issues with implications for national development, peace and security, economic growth and international cooperation.

The presidential aide also said that Shettima would participate in high-level meetings during the UNGA week.

Mr Nkwocha added that VP Shettima’s engagements would focus on the right to development, climate action, and other issues of strategic importance to Nigeria and the African continent.

Similarly, he said Mr Shettima is also expected to join other world leaders at the traditional reception for Heads of Delegation and participate in a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of other countries and international organisations, as well as development partners on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

“The engagements will provide Nigeria an opportunity to advance President Tinubu’s economic diplomacy, deepen strategic partnerships and strengthen the country’s voice on reform of the global financial architecture, sustainable development, climate finance and multilateral cooperation,” he said.

Mr Nkwocha said VP Shettima will return to Nigeria after concluding his engagements in New York.