Buhari to address world leaders at UN

President Muhammadu Buhari will address world leaders at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

According to Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, the trip is at the instance of Ban Ki Moon, UN secretary-general, who “personally” invited Buhari during his recent visit to Nigeria.

“President Buhari will be accompanied by the governors of Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger States, the national security adviser and the permanent secretaries in the federal ministries of foreign affairs, defence, finance, health, industry, trade and investment,  will deliver Nigeria’s statement to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, September 28,” Adesina said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“Also on the president busy schedule in New York are a meeting of the African Union’s peace and security council, a high-level roundtable on south-south cooperation organised by President Xi Jinping of China and the United Nations, and participation in the launching of an updated global health strategy for women and children.

“On the agenda of President Buhari’s talks, deliberations and interactions with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki Moon, President Barack Obama of the United States, President Francois Hollande of France, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Vladmir Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Narenda Modi of India and others will be domestic developmental issues, bilateral relations, the war against terrorism, countering violent extremism, the enhancement of global security,  peace-keeping operations, climate change and the adoption of a  post 2015 global development agenda,”

“On President Buhari’s schedule too are meetings with former President Bill Clinton of the United States, Mr Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which is assisting Nigeria in several areas including polio eradication, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, the United Nations Special Envoy on Global Education who is one of the main drivers of the Safe Schools Initiative.”