Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has called for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa with full rights and responsibilities, including veto power if the veto is retained.
Tinubu made the demand in his address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday.
He said the Security Council must reflect current global realities rather than the distribution of power established after the Second World War.
“Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership,” he said.
Tinubu also backed the African Union’s demand for five non-permanent seats for Africa, with representatives selected by the continent.
Beyond UN reform, he called for an end to armed conflicts and greater adherence to the UN Charter, stressing diplomacy, international cooperation and respect for international law.
“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 said.
The President also called for reforms to the international financial system, greater climate financing and technology transfer for developing countries, while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2060.
On terrorism and conflicts, Tinubu cited Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP and urged greater international cooperation, alongside investment in education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and human rights.
Addressing the conflict in Sudan, he urged stronger diplomatic efforts, warning, “We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor.”
