President Bola Tinubu is set to confer national honours on selected Nigerians working within the United Nations system, in recognition of their contributions to global diplomacy and development.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, announced the plan during a dinner with members of the UN Staff Recreation Council–Nigeria Association in New York.
The event was held at Nigeria House and brought together Nigerian staff serving across various UN agencies.
Ibrahim said the initiative reflects the federal government’s renewed commitment to recognising Nigerians excelling on the global stage.
He said the planned honours would celebrate “professionalism, sacrifice and outstanding contributions” of Nigerian nationals within the UN system.
According to him, many Nigerians are playing key roles in shaping international policy, humanitarian response, and administrative reforms.
He noted that Nigeria’s presence in the UN system has continued to grow, with citizens occupying strategic positions in administration, budgeting, peace operations and development programmes.
Their performance, he said, has strengthened Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility and its aspiration for greater influence in global governance.
The announcement comes amid an expansion of Nigeria’s national honours framework under the Tinubu administration.
In recent years, the government has honoured public officials, private sector leaders, cultural figures and members of the diaspora.
He said the honours system is being repositioned to encourage national motivation and reward excellence.
Ibrahim also indicated that Nigeria would intensify advocacy for reforms at the United Nations, especially regarding African representation on the Security Council.
He said the issue remained central to Africa’s long-standing diplomatic demands.
He further revealed that President Tinubu is expected to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
At the session, Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities and multilateral engagements are expected to be outlined.
The proposed honours are expected to boost morale among Nigerian international civil servants and highlight the country’s use of diaspora expertise in national development.
