President Bola Tinubu on Thursday renewed his call for overhaul of the United Nations Security Council, saying the world cannot continue to be governed by a power structure created in 1945.
Tinubu, in his address delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the UN Security Council structure no longer reflects balance of power.
“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,” said Tinubu.
Nigeria is demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa on the Security Council, with the same rights and responsibilities as existing permanent members, including veto power for as long as the veto remains.
Tinubu also called for five non-permanent seats for the continent, saying the arrangement should follow the African position set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
“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,” he stated.
The demand builds on Nigeria’s position at the 80th UN General Assembly in September 2025, when Shettima, representing Tinubu, called for a permanent African seat on the Security Council and argued that the UN needed to reflect the world as it exists rather than the world of its founding.
At the 2025 session, Nigeria also called for sovereign debt relief and better access to trade and financing, improved benefits for countries hosting critical minerals and measures to close the digital divide, including greater African participation in artificial intelligence governance.
At this year’s session, Tinubu said Africa could not continue to bear much of the burden of conflicts considered by the security council while being excluded from permanent membership.
He also called for an immediate end to wars and urged countries to return to the principles of dialogue, international law and collective responsibility contained in the UN Charter.
“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,” he declared.
The president cited Nigeria’s participation in peacekeeping and regional security efforts, including in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, as part of the country’s contribution to international peace.
“Through ECOWAS, the African Union and our Gulf of Guinea partnerships, we continue to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security,” he said.
Tinubu also renewed Nigeria’s call for changes to the international financial system, arguing that developing countries require better access to concessional financing and debt arrangements that take their development needs into account.
“One of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development is inadequate financing,” he said, citing the burden of debt servicing on developing countries and its effect on spending on education, healthcare and infrastructure
Tinubu further called for fairness in climate financing and rejected the idea that developing countries must choose between economic development and climate action.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and a fair energy transition, noting that Africa contributes less than 4 per cent of global emissions while facing substantial climate pressures.
He said Nigeria was pursuing its Energy Transition Plan towards net-zero emissions by 2060 while seeking to expand access to affordable and reliable energy.
Tinubu also addressed artificial intelligence and digital development, saying Nigeria would continue expanding digital public infrastructure, broadband access and technology entrepreneurship.
On security, he linked Nigeria’s experience with Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups to the need for stronger international cooperation against threats that cross borders.
“No nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders,” he said.
Tinubu added that terrorism and cyberattacks exploit gaps in international action and argued that military responses must be accompanied by education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and respect for human rights.
The president also called for urgent diplomacy over conflicts in Sudan and other war-affected countries, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for the peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter.
“The conflicts in Sudan and other war-torn countries demand urgent diplomacy to address their humanitarian, economic and geopolitical consequences,” he submitted.
He further warned against the use of propaganda to obscure responsibility for violence.
“We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor. When our investment in propaganda shields perpetrators from justice to the point that telling the truth becomes a crime, the promise of this institution stands betrayed,” he stated.
Tinubu said Nigeria remained committed to a reformed UN capable of responding to contemporary global challenges.
“A reformed, inclusive and effective United Nations is indispensable to the peaceful, just and sustainable world that future generations deserve.
“Whatever our differences, we must remember that humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child,” he further stated.
