President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday urged world leaders to embrace sweeping reforms or risk rendering the United Nations irrelevant.
Addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York through Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu outlined four key demands, with Nigeria’s call for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council topping the list.
“Nigeria must have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. This should take place as part of a wider process of institutional reform. The United Nations will recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was,” he said.
Tinubu underscored Nigeria’s transformation from “a colony of 20 million people, absent from the tables where decisions about our fate were taken, to a sovereign nation of over 236 million, projected to become the third most populous country in the world with one of the youngest and most dynamic populations.”
Four-Point Reform Agenda
The president called for urgent global action on:
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Security Council Reform – granting Africa representation in permanent membership.
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Debt Relief – through the creation of a binding global mechanism akin to “an International Court of Justice for money” to free developing nations from crippling debt.
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Trade and Finance Equity – ensuring fairer access for emerging economies.
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Resource Sovereignty – allowing Africa to benefit fairly from its abundant strategic minerals crucial for future technologies.
On the Middle East crisis, Tinubu strongly backed a two-state solution for Palestine, describing the plight of Palestinians as “a stain on our collective humanity.”
Push for Economic Justice
He stressed that Africa’s critical minerals must no longer be exported raw but processed locally to create jobs and stability.
“When we export raw materials, as we have been doing, tension, inequality, and instability fester,” he warned.
Tinubu also demanded global collaboration to close the digital divide, aligning with the UN Secretary-General’s vision that “AI must stand for Africa Included.”
Nigeria’s Domestic Reforms as Model
Highlighting recent policy shifts at home, Tinubu pointed to the removal of fuel subsidies and currency controls as tough but necessary steps to restructure Nigeria’s economy.
“I believe in the power of the market to transform. Our task is to enable and facilitate, and to trust in the ingenuity and enterprise of the people. But the process of transition is difficult,” he said.
On security, Tinubu stressed that Nigeria’s long fight against terrorism had proven that “values and ideas, not just military tactics, deliver the ultimate victory.”
Diplomats React to Tinubu’s Absence
Despite Nigeria’s strong message, Tinubu’s personal absence from the assembly drew criticism from diplomats and analysts.
Former Nigerian envoy Ambassador Usman Sarki warned that the president’s repeated absence “could gradually weaken Nigeria’s diplomatic influence.”
Another diplomat noted that while Vice-President Shettima’s representation was high-level, “the presence of heads of state at UNGA helps facilitate quicker decision-making.”
Observers pointed out that Tinubu had visited France earlier this month, questioning why he skipped the UNGA for a second consecutive year.
“In diplomacy, presence is power and absence is noticed,” said Laolu Akande, former spokesman to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
