President Bola Tinubu has called for at least two permanent seats for Africa on the United Nations Security Council, with veto powers, as part of reforms to make the global body reflect present-day geopolitical realities.
Tinubu made the demand in his address to the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The address was delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The President also called for five non-permanent seats for Africa, saying the continent should no longer contribute significantly to the Security Council’s agenda while remaining excluded from permanent membership.
He said the reform of the United Nations should begin with the restructuring of the Security Council, arguing that its present composition reflected the balance of power in 1945 rather than the realities of 2026.
“Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership,” Tinubu said, reiterating Nigeria’s support for the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
The President said Nigeria was prepared to assume greater responsibility for international peace and security, citing its peacekeeping and mediation roles in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s involvement in promoting democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security through the Economic Community of West African States, African Union and Gulf of Guinea partnerships.
On climate change, Tinubu rejected what he described as a false choice between economic development and climate action, saying developing countries needed technology transfer, capacity building and climate finance to industrialise while reducing emissions.
He said Nigeria remained committed to the Paris Agreement and its Energy Transition Plan, which targets net-zero emissions by 2060 while expanding access to affordable and reliable energy.
The President called for international climate finance to be based on equity and shared responsibility, rather than charity, and urged the creation of accessible and predictable funding mechanisms for developing countries.
Tinubu also addressed the growing use of artificial intelligence, calling for its responsible deployment in areas including healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and economic productivity.
“We can deploy artificial intelligence to wage war or use it to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and economic productivity,” he said.
He said Nigeria was investing in digital public infrastructure, broadband connectivity, innovation ecosystems, research institutions and technology entrepreneurship, while inviting international partners to work with Nigerian youths on development-focused applications of AI.
The President further called for reforms to the international financial system, including wider access to concessional financing and debt sustainability frameworks that take developing countries’ needs into account.
On trade and industrialisation, Tinubu highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to expand intra-African trade, strengthen regional value chains and promote manufacturing and technological innovation.
He said Africa should move beyond the export of raw materials by increasing value addition and developing knowledge-driven industries.
Addressing security challenges, Tinubu said Nigeria’s prolonged fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups had demonstrated that military action alone could not guarantee lasting peace.
He called for greater international cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit financial flows, while urging stronger diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts in Sudan and other affected countries.
The President said all parties to conflicts must respect international humanitarian and human rights law, protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.
His call for Security Council reform comes amid renewed pressure for greater African representation in the UN’s principal body for international peace and security.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also backed reform, describing the absence of permanent African representation on the Security Council as “indefensible” and saying the Council should reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
The Security Council currently has 15 members, comprising five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
The African Union’s Common African Position calls for at least two permanent seats for Africa with full privileges, including veto power if the veto is retained, alongside five non-permanent seats.
