Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in person.

Ibrahim said Tinubu’s physical presence at the gathering was not necessary, arguing that the president would only have a 15-minute speaking slot during the high-level general debate.

Speaking on Television Continental’s Beyond The Headline programme on Thursday, Ibrahim questioned the need for Tinubu to travel to New York solely to deliver a short address.

“What do you think President Tinubu is coming to do?” he asked.

“The presidents are allowed in the UN under UNGA for 15 minutes. Is that the reason why he should board the flight and be here for 15 minutes?”

Tinubu’s absence has attracted criticism, particularly after the government confirmed that the president would not attend the annual gathering.

Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris had said Tinubu was currently on annual leave and had directed Vice-President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), criticised the decision, noting that Tinubu had stayed away from the UNGA general debate for the third consecutive year.

Atiku also questioned the president’s absence from the United States and raised concerns about why Tinubu did not attend after Ibrahim reportedly said arrangements had been made for him to sit close to US President Donald Trump during the general debate.

Atiku further referred to Tinubu’s previous legal history in the United States while questioning the reason for his absence.

Responding to the criticism, Ibrahim said several other countries were represented by senior officials rather than their presidents at the gathering.

He said Shettima had participated in high-level meetings and engaged with Nigerians in the diaspora on behalf of the president.

“This is the kind of engagement we want, not that the president will just be inside the plane and be coming to UNGA for a 15-minute speech. What is the meaning of that? We don’t want that,” Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim, who was appointed chairman of the UNGA Fifth Committee on Budget and Administration in June, also said the composition of the speakers’ list did not make the president’s attendance necessary.

According to him, about 60 percent of the speakers representing the 193 UN member states are foreign ministers and vice-presidents.

“As permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, if I’m to do a memo to the president at the last minute of boarding the plane to go to UNGA, do you think I will recommend the president to be on his way when 60 percent of the speaking list of 193 countries are ministers and vice-presidents representing their countries?” he said.

“There are exigencies. If the speaking list is 90 presidents, maybe of course, the president can come. I don’t think the president should come and be where his equivalent is a minister of foreign affairs of another country.”

The envoy also rejected suggestions that Nigeria’s influence at the UNGA would be diminished by Tinubu’s absence.

Ibrahim said Nigeria retained a prominent position at the General Assembly and would continue to participate in discussions and diplomatic engagements through its delegation.

“I promise that Nigeria will be on the front-row seat at UNGA. Are we not on the front-row seat?” he said.

He added that Nigeria occupies the eighth seat in the UNGA seating arrangement, while the United States occupies the 26th position.

Ibrahim also referred to Trump’s participation in the gathering, saying the US president attended to deliver his address before leaving.

“Must we have President Tinubu here before we can make the impact?” he asked.

The Nigerian envoy also used the occasion to discuss planned reforms within the United Nations.

He said about 90 percent of UN resources are currently spent at the organisation’s headquarters, while only 10 percent goes to member states.

Ibrahim said reforms would begin from October 1, with the aim of increasing the benefits member states receive from the organisation.

“So legitimacy is reduced because member-states are not seeing impacts of the United Nations. We are going to reverse that,” he said.