Tinubu Intelligent, Strategic as Trump – Ex-NIIA DG

A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, has said President Bola Tinubu is as intelligent, cautious, and strategic as U.S. president Donald Trump, despite his absence from this year’s United Nations General Assembly.

Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Akinterinwa argued that Tinubu’s decision not to attend should not be mistaken for weakness or lack of capacity on the global stage.

“At the end of the day, when you are seen to be at par with your colleagues, in which way are you going to say that Donald Trump is better than Bola Tinubu of Nigeria? He’s not. And I can tell you that Tinubu is as intelligent, if not more intelligent than Trump. He is more cautious and more strategic in his approach,” he said.

The former NIIA boss explained that in international relations, hierarchy shapes interactions among leaders, stressing that protocol often dictates who engages with whom at such forums.

“In diplomacy, water must always find its own level. When you are not the president of a sovereign state, the extent to which you can meet with sovereign leaders is limited. A vice president going there cannot easily interact with people who are senior to him,” he noted.

He further suggested that global politics, particularly U.S. attitudes, could also play a role.

Citing Trump as an example, Akinterinwa described him as unpredictable and dismissive of countries pursuing independent foreign policies.

“Donald Trump thinks after action, not before action. He is a president that can thoroughly embarrass our own president, finding unnecessary excuses. Because Nigeria appears to be charting an independent line in international affairs, Trump doesn’t like this. He wants to be seen as primus inter pares in global politics,” he added.

Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in 2023, in New York, delivering Nigeria’s national statement. He did not attend the 79th UNGA in 2024; instead, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him and delivered the national statement.

Shettima also represented him at this year’s edition, the 80th UNGA.