President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday leave Nigeria for New York, the United States (U.S.) to attend the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.
It stated that the president would hold series of meetings and interactions with notable world leaders within and on the sidelines of the main events of the UNGA.
According to the statement, the president will hold deliberations and interactions with the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, President Barack Obama of the U.S. and President Francois Hollande of France.
The statement said the president would also hold deliberations with 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.
It said that the president’s talks with the world leaders would mainly be on domestic developmental issues, bilateral relations, the war against terrorism and countering violent extremism.
The statement said the president would discuss the enhancement of global security, peace-keeping operations, climate change and the adoption of a post 2015 global development agenda in the meetings.
“President Buhari is also scheduled to address the World Leaders Summit on Violent Extremism to which he was personally invited by Mr Ban Ki Moon during the Secretary-General’s recent visit to Nigeria.’’
Buhari would also participate in 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.
The statement said that president Buhari would participate in the launching of an updated global health strategy for women and children.
On Buhari’s schedule too, according to the statement, are meetings with former President Bill Clinton, Mr Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain.
Brown is the UN Special Envoy on Global Education who is one of the main drivers of the Safe Schools Initiative.
It stated that Buhari would 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 and Trade and Investment.
According to the statement, the president will deliver Nigeria’s Statement to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 28.
It stated that the president would conclude his visit to New York on September 29 and return Abuja on the same day.
