Buhari, Obama to meet in New York, says White House

President Barack Obama and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will meet on Tuesday in New York, on the sidelines of the US leader’s final appearance at the UN General Assembly session.

The 71st UN General session opens on Monday. It will be President Buhari’s second appearance since he came to power on 29 May last year.

The meeting confirmed by White House was not on the itinerary of the Nigerian leader released on Friday.

Obama is also scheduled to meet with presidents of Iraq and Colombia.

Obama will discuss with President Buhari about continued U.S. support for security and economic changes in the country, as well the government’s efforts to counter the terrorist group Boko Haram.

Nigeria and the US have pending agreement over the sale of US military equipment, especially attack helicopters to fight the insurgents.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari would deliver Nigeria’s statement at the opening of the General Debate of the Assembly on “The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform Our World.”

Adesina revealed that the president would also attend a high-level summit to be hosted by the UN, on “Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants’’.

He said, “The summit, which is the first of its kind organised by the General Assembly at the Heads of State and Government level, is expected to come up with a blueprint for a better international response to enhance protection of migrants and refugees.’’

He also said that Buhari would deliver a keynote address on “Taking Climate Action toward Sustainable Development in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.”

The president’s aide disclosed that leaders of member-countries of Lake Chad Basin would attend the summit, organised by Nigerian government, to highlight the urgent need to mobilise international response to the situation in the Chad Basin.

“Over nine million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the Lake Chad Basin.”

He said that while in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders, the president would attend series of meetings as well as side events, which were of significant interest to Nigeria.

Adesina said that the president would equally participate in an event hosted by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, on “Ending Need in the Lake Chad.’’

He said, “On the margins of the 71st UNGA, President Buhari will sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and participate in activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of the Right to Development.’’

He said that the Nigerian leader would attend the Clinton Global Initiative as well as the United Nations Private Sector Forum on Business and Global Goals organised by the Secretary General.

According to Adesina, the president will lead discussions at the United States-Africa Business Forum devoted to investing in Nigeria.

He said that the president would hold bilateral meetings with some world leaders in furtherance of his administration’s commitment in ameliorating the plight of Internally Displaced Persons in the country.

He said that the discussions would also focus on the president’s longstanding commitment to returning peace and security in the North-East of Nigeria.

Adesina stated that the discussions would also focus on restoring calm to the Niger Delta, and attracting more investments to develop critical infrastructure and revamp the Nigerian economy.

According to a statement from the White House, Obama has also scheduled meetings with leaders of Iraq and Columbia .