United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has praised Nigeria as a key driver of Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres also endorsed Nigeria’s bid for a United Nations Security Council seat, commending the economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and highlighting Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions despite its own security challenges.
The remarks were made Friday night during a high-level bilateral meeting between Guterres and Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity, and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” Guterres said.
During the meeting, the UN chief and Shettima discussed Nigeria’s expanding role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel. Guterres praised the Tinubu administration’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments, noting their impact on Nigeria’s continental standing.
The discussions also focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration to advance global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and coordinated humanitarian responses across Africa.
Shettima thanked Guterres for his leadership in global peace efforts, emphasizing that Africa has benefited significantly from his tenure. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism and deepening partnerships with the UN and other international institutions.
The vice president reiterated Nigeria’s call for comprehensive reform of the UN system to reflect evolving global realities and stressed that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making, declaring that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing role in advancing peace, security, and development across the continent.
