President Bola Tinubu has received the United Nations’ proposed 2027 budget from Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, in what the envoy described as a historic development for the country.
Ibrahim, who chairs the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters, presented the seven-volume document to the President following its submission by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
According to Ibrahim, the proposed regular budget stands at about $3.4 billion, while the peacekeeping budget is approximately $8.5 billion.
He put the combined figure at about $14 billion, equivalent to between N36 trillion and N40 trillion.
Nigeria’s chairmanship of the committee marks the first time in 66 years that the country has led the body responsible for the organisation’s budget and administrative affairs.
Nigeria’s historic role in the UN budget process
Ibrahim described Nigeria’s chairmanship as a historic milestone, noting that the country had not held the position in more than six decades.
- “This is the first time in 66 years that Nigeria will chair the Budget and Administrative Committee. It is the first time, and we do not know when it will happen again in history,” he said.
He also highlighted the significance of Tinubu receiving the proposed budget, describing the occasion as a first for a Nigerian president in 66 years.
- “So, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is making history by being able to receive this budget. He is the first Nigerian president in 66 years to receive the UN budget from the United Nations,” he said.
Nigeria officially assumed the chairmanship of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on September 3.
The committee oversees deliberations on the organisation’s budgets, financial governance, human resources, institutional efficiency, oversight and the resources required to implement mandates approved by member states.
Proposed budget awaits member states’ approval
Ibrahim clarified that the document remained a proposal and would undergo detailed negotiations and adjustments by member states before final approval and implementation.
- “It is the proposal submitted to member countries. Thereafter, the budget is discussed in detail, the figures are adjusted, and the final budget is approved before spending commences,” he explained.
The envoy declined to disclose the benefits Nigeria might derive from the budget, saying discussions with other committee members were ongoing.
- “As for Nigeria, I do not want to discuss what Nigeria will get from the budget. That would be going too far, because my colleagues and I are still discussing it,” he said.
He also highlighted the scale of the UN’s spending, citing the construction of a $260 million conference centre in Kenya.
- “A lot is happening. As of today, the United Nations is building a $260 million conference centre in Kenya. You can see what that means,” Ibrahim said.
Nigeria and the UN’s wider challenges
Nigeria’s chairmanship of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee comes amid wider debates over the organisation’s governance, representation and funding priorities.
- In September 2026, Nigeria called for at least two permanent African seats on the United Nations Security Council, with veto powers, as part of efforts to reform the global body’s representation.
- Meanwhile, funding constraints have affected the UN’s humanitarian operations. In September 2026, the UN refugee agency warned that funding cuts had put 8.3 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people at risk of losing access to essential assistance.
The funding pressure extends beyond refugee assistance. In March 2026, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it needed an additional $14.3 billion to fund its prioritised response for 87 million people facing severe humanitarian crises worldwide.