UN says Buhari to meet General Assembly president, fails to state agenda

BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to receive President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA) Ms Maria Espinosa, who is paying a one-day official visit to Nigeria on Monday.

Espinosa’s Spokesperson, Ms Monica Gravley, announced this at a media briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.

According to her, the PGA’s visit to Nigeria is part of her eight-day official trip to Central and West Africa beginning on Friday.

The spokesperson did not disclose the agenda of the PGA’s meeting with the President when asked by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Rather, she promised to keep reporters updated on proceedings at the meeting.

Gravley said cabinet members would join Buhari in receiving the PGA, who would later meet with students of the University of Abuja.

Espinosa is expected to speak on the role of multilateralism and how to respond to global challenges in a fast-changing world, according to the spokesperson.

Gravley said Espinosa would also meet UN officials in the country and take part in a discussion with women on their role in promoting multilateralism.

Multilateralism is an alliance of several nations, for example, the UN, pursuing a common goal.

It sought to bind powerful nations, discourage unilateralism (one-sided action) and give small powers a voice and influence they could not otherwise exercise.

However, the system was facing several challenges, especially the dominance of world powers such as the United States in terms of military and economic might.