Thursday, September 25, 2025 - President Bola Tinubu has demanded that Nigeria be given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Tinubu made the call while speaking through Vice-President
Kashim Shettima at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA).
He said that Nigeria is a stabilising force in regional
security and a consistent partner in global peacekeeping.
“A stabilising force in regional security and a
consistent partner in global peacekeeping, our case for a permanent seat at the
“Security Council is a demand for fairness, for representation, and for reform
that restores credibility to the very institution upon which the hope of
multilateralism rests,” he said.
He emphasized that the United Nations must evolve to remain
relevant, noting that Nigeria’s transformation from a 20-million-person colony
in 1945 to a sovereign nation of over 236 million today illustrates the urgent
need for reform.
The president also linked the call for reform to broader
economic and social concerns, urging urgent action on sovereign debt relief,
fair access to trade and finance, and leveraging Africa’s strategic resources
to drive sustainable development.
This echoes a similar call made by the President of Kenya,
William Ruto, while addressing the assembly earlier on Wednesday.
The Kenyan president demanded immediate reforms to the UN
Security Council’s membership process, arguing for the inclusion of the African
continent with at least two permanent seats, with veto power, and two
non-permanent seats.
"You cannot claim to be the United Nations while
disregarding the voices of fifty-four nations, it is impossible. Africa will no
longer remain on the margins of global governance while decisions on peace,
security, and development are made without our perspectives and our voice.
Excluding Africa is not only unacceptable, unfair, and
grossly unjust, it undermines the very credibility of this organization. Africa
dominates much of the Security Council’s agenda, provides some of the largest
contingents of UN peacekeepers, and bears the heaviest costs of instability.
Yet, we remain the only continent without a permanent seat.
“Reforming the Security Council is not a favor to Africa or
to anybody. It is a necessity for the United Nations’ own survival," Ruto
said.
The UN Security Council is a part of the United Nations that
works to keep the world peaceful and secure. It has 15 members, with five
powerful permanent members and ten others who are elected for short terms.
This group can look into conflicts, suggest ways to solve
them peacefully, impose punishments like sanctions, and in serious cases,
approve the use of military force.
However, many people criticize the Council for being
outdated. Africa, which has over 50 countries and a large part of the world's
population, is significantly under-represented in its leadership. This is
because the Council's structure is based on the world power dynamics of 1945,
when most African nations were still colonies and had no voice.
This lack of representation is seen as unfair, especially
since a very large number of the world's current conflicts are happening in
Africa. Despite this imbalance, the Council has authorized important actions in
Africa in the past to address major wars and political crises
0 Comments