Nigeria has renewed its call for Africa to be allocated at least two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, with veto powers for as long as the privilege remains in existence.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima made the demand on Thursday while delivering President Bola Tinubu’s national statement at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
Shettima also called for five non-permanent seats for Africa, in line with the continent’s Common African Position on reform of the Security Council. The African Union’s position similarly seeks at least two permanent seats with full privileges, including the veto while it exists, alongside five non-permanent seats.
The Vice-President argued that the Council’s current structure no longer reflected contemporary geopolitical realities and had weakened the legitimacy of global decision-making.
“The world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945,” he said.
According to Shettima, Africa could no longer remain excluded from permanent membership when issues concerning the continent continued to feature prominently in the Council’s deliberations.
He said Nigeria’s position was consistent with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, which form the basis of the Common African Position on Security Council reform.
Under the African position, the continent seeks no fewer than two permanent seats with the same privileges enjoyed by existing permanent members, including veto rights while the veto remains, as well as five non-permanent seats.
Shettima said institutions claiming authority to act on behalf of humanity must adequately reflect the people whose interests they represent. He linked Security Council reform to efforts to rebuild confidence in multilateralism amid widening geopolitical divisions.
The Vice-President also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the UN Charter and international cooperation, saying the country supported an international system in which diplomacy takes precedence over coercion and international law guides relations among states.
He recalled Nigeria’s contributions to international and regional peace operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, as well as its continued engagement through ECOWAS, the African Union and Gulf of Guinea mechanisms.
According to him, Nigeria’s efforts cover mediation, counter-terrorism, democratic governance and maritime security.
Shettima said persistent conflicts in different regions demonstrated the need to return to dialogue, collective responsibility and peaceful settlement of disputes. He identified the conflict in Sudan and other theatres as requiring urgent diplomatic attention because of their humanitarian, economic and geopolitical consequences.
He also warned against a global environment in which propaganda blurred distinctions between victims and aggressors and complicated accountability.
The Vice-President maintained that an inclusive and effective United Nations remained indispensable to global peace and sustainable development.
The Security Council currently has five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, all of which possess veto power. Africa has no permanent seat.
Shettima said Nigeria remained committed to a multilateral order capable of responding more credibly to 21st-century realities, stressing that differences among nations should not obscure their common humanity or shared responsibility to preserve peace for future generations.
