From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said
President Muhammadu Buhari will lead the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 72nd summit in New York, United States.
Disclosing this yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Buhari would be attending the high level segment of the summit with some governors and ministers.
The president will also meet with some world leaders and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. President Buhari will use the occasion to thank Guterres for appointing former Minister of Environment, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed as deputy-Secretary General of the world body.
According to Onyeama, the issue of terrorism, human rights and the illicit flow of financial assets would top Nigeria’s agenda at the summit.
On the sideline of the summit the Nigerian delegation will attend the Nigeria-US Business Investment Forum where the nation’s economy and job creation would be discussed. Onyeama added that the reformation of the United Nations Security Council to allow the inclusion of African countries a permanent seat just like other regions of the world would also be discussed.
Onyeama said: “We are absolutely delighted that as he did last year, Mr President would be leading a significant Nigerian delegation to UNGA, in New York. And I think that should be an excellent message to the world that Nigeria is engaged at the very highest level with the international community and that Nigeria is present in the big issues, global issues of the day.
“And under the leadership of our president, President Muhammadu Buhari, this UNGA would be no exception as we would engage robustly with the international community. One of the messages, one of the areas of focus for us, a major global challenge of course, is the issue of terrorism. And for us, of course, that is also a big priority and it is one of the priorities Mr President has identified and that the country is fully engaged in addressing.
“So, we will again be engaging with the international community in trying to find a definitive and lasting solution to the global challenge of terrorism. We would share with the international community, the challenges that we have been facing and the successes and the further support that we need in our engagement with the scourge of terrorism and also, support in freeing all the hostages held by the terrorist group here in Nigeria, the Chibok girls and all the others. And that is still a priority for this government and there will be no let up.”