Jimoh Ibrahim presents UN’s $14bn 2027 budget to Tinubu

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, on Sunday night presented the global body’s proposed $14 billion budget for 2027 to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Nigeria’s representative at the global body is the Chairman of the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters.

Addressing newsmen after his meeting with President Tinubu, Senator Ibrahim stated that the presentation was significant, noting that it was the first time since Nigeria joined the United Nations in 1960 that its representative would preside over the committee responsible for considering the organisation’s budget.

He maintained that the position occupied by Nigeria made it necessary to formally present the proposed budget to President Tinubu.

Giving a breakdown of the proposed $14 billion budget estimate, the Nigerian representative stated that $3.4 billion was allocated for the regular budget, while approximately $8.5 billion was earmarked for peacekeeping operations.

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He further revealed that the budget, contained in seven volumes, covered the organisation’s regular expenditure, peacekeeping operations, and other financial commitments.

He explained that his position as Chairman of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters had placed President Tinubu in the historic position of being the first Nigerian leader to formally receive the proposed UN budget from a Nigerian representative serving as chairman of the committee.

“We don’t know when we’re going to do that again in history.”

Senator Ibrahim was, however, silent on what Nigeria stands to gain from its influential position in the UN budgetary process when asked by journalists.

He stated that it would be premature to discuss possible benefits when the proposed budget had yet to secure the approval of the leadership of the world body.