President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a radical reform of the United Nations, insisting that Africa must be given permanent representation on the Security Council. In a statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, the President……
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a radical reform of the United Nations, insisting that Africa must be given permanent representation on the Security Council.
In a statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, the President made the remarks in his address delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima during the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
The President said the current structure of the UN Security Council no longer reflects the realities of the world, demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa with full rights and responsibilities, including veto power for as long as it exists, as well as five non-permanent seats.
“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,” he stated.
Tinubu also called for an immediate end to conflicts around the world, urging countries to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter and reject unilateral aggression and rising nationalism.
“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 said Nigeria remained committed to peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts across Africa, citing the country’s involvement in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia.
“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 linked Nigeria’s development agenda to broader efforts to promote peace, equity and prosperity, saying the country was implementing its sustainable development commitments through macroeconomic management, stronger institutions, private-sector growth and strategic public investment.
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He urged global leaders to take stronger action on climate change while rejecting what he described as a false choice between development and climate action.
The President said developing countries must be allowed to industrialise, tackle poverty and expand energy access through low-carbon pathways supported by technology transfer and climate financing.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and a fair energy transition, noting that Africa bears a significant climate burden despite contributing less than four per cent of global emissions.
Under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, he said the country is working towards net-zero emissions by 2060 while expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Tinubu also called for reform of the international financial architecture, wider access to concessional financing and debt sustainability arrangements that take the developmental needs of poorer countries into account.
He said “one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development is inadequate financing,” noting that many developing countries spend significant portions of their resources on debt servicing at the expense of education, healthcare and infrastructure.
On security, the President drew lessons from Nigeria’s experience in combating Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups, saying “no nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders.”
He said modern threats, including terrorism and cyberattacks, exploit gaps in global action, stressing that lasting military victories must be supported by education, economic opportunities, accountable governance and respect for human rights.
As a founding member of ECOWAS, Tinubu said Nigeria remained ready to support regional solidarity and African leadership in addressing security challenges, “reinforced by principled international partnerships.”
The President also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter, saying “the conflicts in Sudan and other war-torn countries demand urgent diplomacy to address their humanitarian, economic and geopolitical consequences.”
“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.
On Nigeria’s technological future, Tinubu said the country would continue to embrace artificial intelligence and digital development, describing AI as a tool driven by human intent.
He said Nigeria was expanding digital public infrastructure, accelerating broadband deployment and promoting technology entrepreneurship.
Concluding his address, the President called for a more inclusive and effective United Nations, saying, “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.
