On September 18, 2023, President Bola Tinubu addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking his first speech on such a prestigious global stage…CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

While his performance exceeded expectations for a debut at the UN, there remains significant room for improvement, warranting an overall assessment of ‘B.’

Tinubu’s speech at the UNGA highlighted five key themes: (a) the imperative for global institutions and other nations to prioritize Africa, (b) a strong endorsement of democratic governance as the “ultimate protector of sovereign will,” (c) the challenges posed by violent extremism, (d) concerns regarding illicit mining and exploitation by external powers and corporations, and (e) the looming threats of climate change.

Speeches delivered by Presidents at the UNGA typically target two distinct audiences simultaneously: the world leaders gathered at the assembly and their domestic audience back home.

A noteworthy observation is that Tinubu’s speech allocated approximately 55% of its focus to the African audience, 35% to the Nigerian audience, and only 10% to world leaders in terms of substantive proposals for meaningful engagement rather than grandstanding.

It’s important to note that Tinubu neither holds the position of Chairman of the African Union nor has Nigeria been appointed as the continent’s leader. Consequently, the predominant emphasis on advocating for Africa in his speech, in my view, might be seen as disproportionate.

In fact, this emphasis could potentially run counter to the views of other African leaders who sometimes resent Nigeria’s inclination to assert itself as the presumptive leader of the continent.