President Bola Tinubu has renewed calls for a radical shake-up of the United Nations (UN). He recently had his say in his address, delivered by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, during the General Debate at the ongoing 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
Warning that the continent can no longer afford to fill the Council’s agenda from the margins, Tinubu stated that the world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945.
He concluded by insisting that reforms must start with reconstituting the Security Council to grant Africa permanent seats.
His words, “The reform of this institution must begin with the reconstitution of the Security Council, for the world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945. Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership.
Nigeria demands, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including the veto for as long as it exists, and five non-permanent seats in total. The authority to speak for humanity carries an obligation to represent it.
The persistence of conflict across the world recalls the purpose for which the United Nations was founded: to spare succeeding generations the devastation of war. We must therefore return to the founding principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility.
Nigeria stands by the Charter and its promise of a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary exercise of power.
Through ECOWAS, the African Union and our Gulf of Guinea partnerships, we continue to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security.”
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