Veteran journalist and former presidential media aide Laolu Akande has lauded Nigerian career diplomats for their critical role in maintaining Nigeria’s prominence at the 2024 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during an insightful Inside Sources interview broadcast from New York on Friday. Akande’s remarks came in light of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to focus on home issues, which resulted in his absence from the global summit.
Speaking during My Take segment of the programme, Akande noted that President Tinubu’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly posed challenges for Nigerian diplomats at the world body. “But, his absence here [in the New York] created a bit of challenge for Nigerian diplomats at the United Nations. They are concerned that since Nigeria is now being represented by the Vice President, the normal protocol will mean all the more than 70 presidents as heads of state who are attending the meeting physical will have to speak before the Vice President,” Akande said.
The traditional expectation is that heads of state attending the UNGA in person receive priority in the speaking order. This year, over 70 presidents attended the meeting, and Nigeria, being represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, risked losing its Day One speaking slot, an opportunity that was secured under the assumption that President Tinubu would attend.
“This posed a bit of a challenge for Nigerian diplomats here at the UN,” Akande said. “There was concern that since Nigeria was represented by the Vice President, the protocol would push Nigeria down the speaking order, as the heads of state present would speak first.”
Given the importance of Nigeria’s position on the world stage and its significant contributions to global affairs, losing such a prominent speaking position would have been a diplomatic setback. According to Akande who is attending the UNGA at New York, this was especially concerning as Day One speaking slots allow countries to present their priorities to the global community early on, commanding the attention of world leaders and international media outlets.
“At the end of the day, we must give kudos to the Nigerian diplomats at the Permanent Mission here at the UN. They pulled off a great thing. They managed to keep the prominent Day One speaking slot for Nigeria,” Akande said.
Akande emphasized that it was the competence and experience of these career diplomats that saved the day for Nigeria. Despite the initial concerns, Nigerian diplomats worked behind the scenes, leveraging their networks, understanding of UN procedures, and adept negotiation skills to ensure that Nigeria retained its critical speaking position.
“These are career diplomats that got this done,” Akande said, highlighting their strategic efforts and quick thinking. “Maybe this will encourage President Tinubu to appoint more career diplomats into substantive ambassadorial positions in our embassies across the world.”
Career diplomats have, through years of experience and expertise, become adept at managing complex international situations. The veteran journalist also hinted at the need for President Tinubu’s administration to consider appointing more of these professionals to top diplomatic positions, ensuring that Nigeria’s interests are always expertly represented on the global stage.
The move by Nigerian diplomats to secure the UNGA speaking slot for Vice President Shettima has drawn praise from international observers. This victory not only preserved Nigeria’s prominence at the global summit but also demonstrated the country’s diplomatic strength and ability to navigate protocol challenges effectively.
As Vice President Shettima addressed the UNGA on behalf of Nigeria, he carried with him the weight of these diplomatic efforts, allowing Nigeria to remain a visible and influential player in discussions that shape global policies.
