Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives at the United Nation, Muhammad-Bande resumes office as the president of the 74th UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
He takes over from Ms Maria Espinosa who was the 73 UN General Assembly president.
Espinosa handed over to Muhammad-Bande on Monday at the session held at the General Assembly Hall of the UN headquarters in New York.
The session which marked the end of 73rd session was attended by top officials of the UN, including the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
A presidential team from Nigeria also witnessed the occasion.
In the team were Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Mr Ahmed Abubakar, and presidential spokesman, Mr Garba Shehu.
Guterres praised Espinosa for her leadership qualities and said he would want Muhammad-Bande to advance the organisation’s mission of building more peaceful and prosperous world.
His words: “I commend her ambitious priorities for this session, which addressed crucial matters of international impact and concern.
“These include gender equality, migration and refugees, decent work for all, environmental protection, the rights of people with disabilities, promoting the voices of young people to advance peace and security, and revitalising the work of the United Nations.
“The commitment of Espinosa to the environment especially ending plastic pollution also stands out.”
In her valedictory statement, Espinosa said she was happy about her achievements during her tenure.
