President Bola Tinubu has received the United Nations’ proposed $14 billion budget for 2027 from Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the global body, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
Ibrahim presented the seven-volume budget document to the President at the State House in Abuja on Sunday evening, describing the development as a significant diplomatic milestone for Nigeria.
The presentation marks the first time in Nigeria’s 66-year membership of the United Nations that a Nigerian representative has chaired the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters.
Ibrahim, who was elected chairman of the committee on 2 June 2026, said Nigeria’s leadership of the body responsible for examining the UN’s administrative and budgetary proposals made it appropriate to formally present the documents to the President.
The proposed budget covers the organisation’s regular operations, peacekeeping missions and other financial commitments.
Providing a breakdown of the figures, Ibrahim said approximately $3.4 billion had been allocated to the UN’s regular budget, while about $8.5 billion was earmarked for peacekeeping operations.
He explained that the proposal had been submitted to the Fifth Committee by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for consideration and negotiations among member states.
The Nigerian envoy described his position as a rare diplomatic achievement, noting that the country could not predict when it would have another opportunity of similar significance.
However, he declined to specify the benefits Nigeria expected to derive from the position, explaining that negotiations over the proposed budget were still ongoing.
“The budget still has to be approved. It’s a proposed budget,” Ibrahim said.
He added that expenditure could only begin after the necessary approval processes had been completed.
To illustrate the scale of projects funded through the UN system, the ambassador cited a conference facility under construction in Nairobi, Kenya, estimated to cost approximately $260 million.
The Fifth Committee is one of the six main committees of the UN General Assembly. It examines the organisation’s budget proposals, administrative expenses and allocation of resources before the General Assembly takes final decisions.
The proposed 2027 budget will undergo further consideration and negotiations among member states before its final approval.
