President Bola Tinubu on Thursday called for a sweeping overhaul of the United Nations. He said any reform must begin with a restructured Security Council that gives Africa permanent seats with full veto rights.
Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered the President’s address at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Tinubu said the global body could not keep running on the power structure it was built on in 1945. He said Africa could no longer take up so much of the Council’s agenda while being shut out of its permanent membership.
“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,” he said.
Citing the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, the President asked for at least two permanent seats for Africa. He said those seats should carry all the rights of permanent membership, including the veto “for as long as it exists.” He also asked for a total of five non-permanent seats for the continent.
“The authority to speak for humanity carries an obligation to represent it,” he said.
End to wars, rejection of nationalism
Tinubu urged world leaders to end ongoing wars and to reject rising nationalism and unilateral aggression. He warned that the global order was at risk and told leaders not to act as though distant or domestic conflicts cost other nations nothing.
“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.
“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.
On Sudan and other war-torn countries, he called for urgent diplomacy and warned against 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 said.
Nigeria’s peacekeeping record
The President pointed to Nigeria’s peacekeeping work in Africa as an example for others. He said the country was ready to take on more responsibility to restore peace on the continent.
He said Nigeria continues to promote mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security through ECOWAS, the African Union and its Gulf of Guinea partnerships. He recalled past missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, where personnel and resources were sent when global solidarity demanded action.
“No nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders,” Tinubu said. He added that threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks take advantage of gaps in global cooperation.
“Lasting military victory requires a foundation of education, economic opportunity, accountable governance, and human rights,” he said.
Climate, AI and debt
On climate change, Tinubu said it was a false choice to pick between development and climate action. He said developing countries must be free to industrialise, end poverty and expand energy access through low-carbon pathways, backed by technology transfer and climate finance.
He restated Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. He noted that Africa carries a heavy climate burden even though it produces less than four per cent of global emissions. Under its Energy Transition Plan, he said, Nigeria is working towards net-zero emissions by 2060 while widening access to affordable and reliable energy.
On technology, the President said Nigeria would not let fear shape its approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). He described AI as a tool driven by human intent. He said the country was expanding its digital public infrastructure, speeding up broadband rollout and supporting tech entrepreneurship.
He repeated Nigeria’s call for reform of the international financial architecture, wider access to concessional financing and debt arrangements that take development needs into account. He described inadequate financing as one of the biggest obstacles to sustainable development. He noted that many developing countries spend much of their revenue on debt servicing instead of education, healthcare and infrastructure.
Link between reforms at home and foreign policy
Tinubu said the same thinking behind Nigeria’s economic reforms guides its foreign policy. He listed disciplined macroeconomic management, strong institutions, private-sector growth and strategic public investment. He said gains at home would mean little if the country ignored threats building abroad, because “geography offers no exemption from the consequences of a fractured world.”
He said “a reformed, inclusive and effective United Nations” was essential to the peaceful, just and sustainable world 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 said.
NAN
