President Bola Tinubu has used his address at a major development conference in Japan to make a forceful call for reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), arguing that Africa deserves a permanent voice at the top table of global diplomacy.
Speaking at the plenary session on Peace and Stability at the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD), Mr Tinubu stated that Africa’s quest for fair representation was a “just and fair demand.”
“It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand,” he told delegates in Yokohama. “Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the Permanent Category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the Right of Veto.”
His intervention came after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba opened the conference by announcing a significant financial package for the continent. Mr Ishiba outlined a new collaborative framework with the African Development Bank that will see up to $5.5bn (£4.3bn) disbursed, utilising Japanese private sector investment finance as a catalyst.
The Nigerian leader also lauded the successes of the country’s armed forces against insurgency but warned that military victories alone were insufficient. He emphasised his administration’s commitment to tackling the root causes of insecurity through economic reforms.
“We have learned that our brave armed forces can win many battles. But we can do justice to their heroism and sacrifice only when we, as governments, display the courage to be tough, not only on terror, but on the causes of terror,” President Tinubu said.
For his part, Prime Minister Ishiba stressed the importance of “locally rooted solutions” for Africa’s development, focusing on private-sector growth and empowering women and youth.
He also made a unusual appeal for African assistance with Japan’s own demographic challenges, including a rapidly declining population and shrinking agricultural land.
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