Nigeria has sent one of the largest delegations to the United Nations General Assembly, despite having no direct stake in the outcome. The country's representation at the assembly has raised questions about the effectiveness of its participation. Past experiences have shown that Nigerians show up in large numbers on the world stage, but with little or no brief, no bilateral meetings, no follow-up plan, and no report to deliver when they return.
The 2026 General Assembly was opened by António Guterres, who delivered a bleak image of the world's current state. He stated that the world's cracks had become canyons, with wars testing the authority of law, inequality eroding trust, and institutions struggling to contain new divisions. Guterres insisted that cooperation and reform remain possible and necessary, and that the United Nations is not dead.
Nigeria's Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, delivered the country's statement on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, addressing Sudan and the Sahel and pressing for Security Council reform. However, President Tinubu's repeated absence from the General Assembly has raised questions about Nigeria's leadership and influence. This is the third consecutive year that Tinubu has missed the assembly, sending Shettima instead.
The Vice-President can speak for Nigeria and conduct serious diplomacy, but a president has access to counterparts and authority to make commitments that a deputy may not always command. The President's absence is a choice that warrants an account, even if its precise diplomatic cost cannot be assumed. It is unclear what bilateral opportunities the delegation pursued and which required later presidential contact.
Influence abroad is earned at home and exercised in person. Nigeria's insecurity, poverty, and severe cost-of-living squeeze diminish the force of its appeals. The country's claim to speak for Africa depends on performance and presence: what it helps neighbours achieve, and whether its leaders invest their own time in the cause they ask others to support.
The Sahel and Sudan pose significant tests for Nigeria's leadership and influence. The region's threats cross borders that no government can police alone, and Nigeria should keep channels open for intelligence sharing, border management, trade, and humanitarian access. The country's words about Sudan should be followed by a clear account of the diplomatic channels it will use, the partners it will work with, and the relief it will support.
Global disorder also reaches Nigeria through the price of daily life. Economic resilience is part of national security, not a slogan reserved for investment conferences. The government asking the world to reform institutions must show that it takes its own institutions seriously. A state seeking influence in Africa must be useful to its neighbours, and a leadership that invokes human security abroad must make its citizens safer and less vulnerable at home.
Key points
- Nigeria's participation in the 2026 United Nations General Assembly raises questions about the country's leadership and influence on the global stage.
- President Bola Tinubu's repeated absence from the General Assembly has sparked concerns about Nigeria's commitment to global diplomacy.
- Nigeria's influence abroad is closely tied to its performance at home, including addressing insecurity, poverty, and the cost-of-living squeeze.
