Nigeria’s UN envoy, Jimoh Ibrahim, presents the proposed 2027 budget, estimated at $14 billion, to the President in Abuja, as member states prepare to scrutinise the spending plan before approval.

President Bola Tinubu has been presented with the proposed 2027 United Nations budget, in what Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, described as a historic first for the country in 66 years.

The presentation took place at the State House in Abuja, where Ibrahim handed over the seven-volume budget document to the President.

Ibrahim, who chairs the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, the body responsible for administrative and budgetary matters, said the development marked a significant moment in Nigeria’s engagement with the global organisation.

According to him, the proposed budget was submitted to the committee by the UN Secretary-General before being brought to Nigeria for Tinubu to receive.

“This is the first time in 66 years that Nigeria will share budget in the committee. The first time. So I don’t know when we’re going to do that again in history,” Ibrahim said.

He further described Tinubu’s receipt of the document as an exceptional occurrence, highlighting the significance of the Nigerian President’s role in the process.

“President Bola Tinubu is making history to have been able to receive that budget, being the first President in 66 years that will receive such budget from the United Nations,” he added.

Proposed Budget Covers UN Operations and Peacekeeping

Ibrahim said the proposed 2027 budget would fund the United Nations’ regular operations and peacekeeping missions around the world.

He put the regular budget allocation at approximately $3.4 billion, while peacekeeping operations were expected to receive about $8.5 billion.

Although Ibrahim described the overall proposal as approximately $14 billion, the two allocations he cited total $11.9 billion, leaving a difference that was not explained in the presentation.

The proposed budget is intended to support the organisation’s administrative responsibilities and its peacekeeping activities in regions affected by conflict and instability.

However, Ibrahim stressed that the document remained a proposal and had not yet received final approval.

UN Member States Yet to Approve Spending Plan

The Nigerian envoy explained that the budget would undergo further deliberations, during which member states would examine the proposed expenditure, make adjustments where necessary and determine the final figures.

He emphasised that the presentation to Tinubu did not mean the budget had been approved or that the funds were ready for spending.

“The budget still has to be approved. This is a proposed budget. It’s at the proposed stage,” Ibrahim said.

The UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee plays a central role in reviewing the organisation’s financial requirements and negotiating budgetary decisions before they are considered for approval by member states.

Ibrahim also referred to a $267 million UN conference centre in Kenya as an example of the organisation’s investment in facilities located within member countries.

The proposed 2027 budget will now proceed through the UN’s established review and approval process, with member states expected to scrutinise the financial plan before the final spending arrangements are settled.

For Nigeria, the presentation represents a milestone in its participation in the UN’s budgetary process, although the proposal’s eventual approval and final allocations remain subject to further deliberations.

Editorial note: The headline is based on Jimoh Ibrahim’s claim of a historic first. Before publication, independently verify the claim that no Nigerian president has received such a document in 66 years. Also, the reported allocations of $3.4 billion and $8.5 billion add up to $11.9 billion, not $14 billion; the discrepancy is flagged in the report rather than presented as a settled figure.