By RFPosted on 05-06-2019Modified on 05-06-2019 at 01:07

Tijjani Muhammad-Band was elected on Tuesday, June 4, to lead the UN institution. An essentially symbolic post and unsurprising appointment since he was the only candidate running for Africa, who attains this rotating presidency every five years.

With our correspondent in New York, Grégoire Pourtier

Only a dozen African countries have chaired the UN General Assembly, the first having been Ghana in 1964. But in September, Nigeria will gain the second time this function, a new honor on the continent. After Joseph Nanven Garba, who led the 1989-1990 session, Tijjani Muhammad-Band was elected Tuesday by acclamation.

Tijjani Muhammad-Band of Nigeria was elected President of the next session of the General Assembly of #NationsUnies which will begin in September 2019. Details via @ONUinfo: https://t.co/w1Xfc3nI3T pic.twitter.com/X2UOQEAVEw

United Nations (UN) (@ONU_en) 4 June 2019

Although the post does not offer much political leeway and does not make the incumbent a key figure in world diplomacy, Nigeria wanted to win this election. Abuja had sent a high-level delegation to New York to support the candidacy of its permanent representative to the United Nations and said he was confident in his ability to lead the General Assembly's deliberations.

For if there are many political and development challenges, Tijjani Muhammad-Band, 61, has a double experience. Trained in the United States and Canada, he first led a linear career as a political science professor and administrator in his country and Morocco, before embarking on a diplomatic career, taking on the role of Nigeria's ambassador to the UN since 2017.

The diplomat succeeds Ecuadorian Maria Fernanda Espinosa. The last African country to chair the UN General Assembly was Uganda five years ago.

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