Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Tijjani Muhammad-Bande is set to take office as the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
This was disclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu.
According to the statement, the ceremony will take place at the UN New York headquarters on September 16 and 17, ahead of the High-Level week of the UNGA when leaders of the nations of the world take turns to address the General Assembly.
Among those who would attend are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Mr Garba Shehu.
Professor Muhammad-Bande was elected President of the 74th session of the General Assembly by acclamation on Tuesday, June 4, to serve the one-year role with a strong mandate from his home government, that nominated him, endorsed by the Group of African States and adopted unanimously by the member-states.
During the year-long service, Muhammad-Bande is expected to play a role in bridging gaps and promoting collective action to address all international issues that deserve attention, in close coordination and collaboration with the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council
The Muhammad-Bande presidency, coming 30 years after this country’s first, presents Nigeria and Africa a unique opportunity to ensure the implementation of the existing mandates for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular focus on peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion.
The mandates particularly focus on peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion.
“The General Assembly under Muhammad-Bande will also play a role in bridging the gaps and promoting collective action to address all international issues that deserve attention, in close coordination and collaboration with the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council,’’ Shehu added.
The presidential aide, therefore, expressed the hope that the Muhammad-Bande presidency at the UNGA would ensure the actualisation of “the major priorities of Nigeria and the African continent’’.(NAN)
