President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday evening hosted the proposed $14 billion budget of the United Nations (UN) for 2027.
It marked what Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the global body Senator Jimoh Ibrahim described as a historic milestone in the country’s 66 years of membership of the organisation.
The envoy presented the seven-volume budget document to the President at his official residence in the State House Abuja.
Ibrahim who currently chairs the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters told reporters after meeting with President Tinubu that the presentation was particularly significant because it was the first time since Nigeria joined the United Nations in 1960 that its representative was presiding over the committee responsible for considering the organisation’s budget.
The envoy said the proposed budget which was formally presented to the committee by UN Secretary-General António Guterres represented an important responsibility for Nigeria in the management of the global body’s financial and administrative affairs.
According to him the historic position occupied by Nigeria made it necessary to formally present the documents to President Tinubu who represents the country at the highest level of government.
He explained that the budget contained in seven volumes covered the organisation’s regular expenditure peacekeeping operations and other financial commitments.
The envoy put the overall proposed expenditure at approximately $14 billion describing the financial responsibilities involved as substantial.
He said the regular budget was estimated at about $3.4 billion while approximately $8.5 billion was earmarked for peacekeeping operations.
Ibrahim described Nigeria’s chairmanship of the influential UN committee as a rare diplomatic achievement stressing that the country could not predict when another opportunity of such significance would arise.
He said the development had also placed President Tinubu in a historic position as 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’ he said reflecting on the significance of Nigeria’s leadership of the committee.
The ambassador expressed satisfaction that the President had received the seven volumes of the proposed budget stressing that the occasion underscored Nigeria’s growing participation in critical decisions affecting the operations of the United Nations.
Asked what Nigeria stood to benefit from its influential position in the UN budgetary process Ibrahim declined to state specific expectations explaining that negotiations among member states were still ongoing.
He maintained that it would be premature to discuss possible financial or developmental benefits for Nigeria when the proposed allocations had yet to receive the necessary approvals.
The envoy stressed that the budget remained a proposal subject to detailed scrutiny adjustments and negotiations by members of the Fifth Committee before its eventual consideration and approval by the General Assembly.
‘The budget still has to be approved. It’s a proposed budget’ Ibrahim said.
The envoy explained that the figures contained in the documents could still change during negotiations adding that expenditure would only commence after the required approval processes had been concluded.
Illustrating the scale of projects funded through the United Nations system Ibrahim cited the construction of a conference facility in Nairobi Kenya estimated at about $260 million.
He suggested that the project demonstrated the substantial resources available for infrastructure and other institutional activities under the organisation’s financial arrangements.
The envoy reiterated that discussions were still underway and that it would be inappropriate to make definitive statements about what Nigeria might secure from the proposed budget.
Ibrahim’s election as chairman of the Fifth Committee on June 2 marked a significant diplomatic achievement for Nigeria giving the country a leadership role in the committee responsible for examining and recommending decisions on the UN’s administrative and budgetary affairs.
The Fifth Committee is one of the six main committees of the United Nations General Assembly and plays a central role in scrutinising financial proposals resource allocation and administrative expenditures before final decisions are taken by the General Assembly.
The proposed 2027 budget will undergo further deliberations by the committee with member states expected to negotiate expenditure priorities and funding requirements before final approval.