New York, Sept. 25, 2025 – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed Nigeria’s call for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), arguing that the institution must evolve to reflect present-day global realities.
Speaking through Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Tinubu described Nigeria as both a stabilising force in regional security and a consistent partner in global peacekeeping, stressing that it is unjust to exclude Africa from the Council’s permanent membership.
“A stabilising force in regional security and a consistent partner in global peacekeeping, our case for a permanent seat at the Security Council is a demand for fairness, for representation, and for reform that restores credibility to the very institution upon which the hope of multilateralism rests,” Shettima said on Tinubu’s behalf.
The president highlighted Nigeria’s transformation from a 20-million-person colony in 1945 to a sovereign nation of over 236 million today, saying such demographic and political shifts show why reform is overdue. He also linked the push for reform to broader global economic justice, urging action on sovereign debt relief, fair trade access, inclusive finance, and leveraging Africa’s resources for sustainable development.
Africa’s case for inclusion
Tinubu’s demand echoes similar calls from other African leaders, notably Kenya’s President William Ruto, who earlier in the week insisted that Africa deserves at least two permanent seats with veto powers and two additional non-permanent seats on the UNSC.
Ruto argued that it is impossible for the body to call itself the “United Nations” while ignoring the voices of Africa’s 54 nations.
“You cannot claim to be the United Nations while disregarding the voices of fifty-four nations, it is impossible. Africa will no longer remain on the margins of global governance while decisions on peace, security, and development are made without our perspectives and our voice,” Ruto declared.
He pointed out that Africa dominates much of the Security Council’s agenda, contributes some of the largest contingents of UN peacekeepers, and bears the heaviest costs of instability, yet remains the only continent without a permanent seat.
A call for survival of the UN
Both leaders warned that the UN risks losing credibility if reforms are not urgently undertaken. Ruto stressed that reforming the UNSC is “not a favour to Africa but a necessity for the survival of the United Nations itself.”
Currently, the UNSC has 15 members: five powerful permanent members with veto power – the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – alongside 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Critics argue that this structure reflects the power dynamics of 1945, leaving Africa marginalized despite being home to nearly 1.4 billion people and many of today’s global conflicts.
For Nigeria, which has been at the forefront of regional peacekeeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and The Gambia, gaining a permanent seat would not only elevate Africa’s voice but also recognize the country’s long-standing contributions to global stability.
