Nigeria has renewed its call for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, demanding at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for Africa in what it described as a necessary step toward a more equitable and representative global order.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the demand while delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national statement at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He argued that the current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities and continues to sideline Africa despite the continent’s growing population, economic significance and contribution to global peace and security.
Shettima maintained that Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership on the Security Council represents a historical imbalance that must be corrected. He stressed that the continent should not continue to occupy a central place on the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership structure.
“The world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945,” Shettima said, emphasizing that institutions claiming authority to act on behalf of humanity must adequately reflect the people and regions they represent.
Nigeria’s position is anchored on the African Union’s Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which constitute Africa’s common position on United Nations reform. Under the framework, Africa is seeking at least two permanent seats on the Security Council with all the rights and privileges enjoyed by existing permanent members, including veto powers for as long as the veto system remains in place. The proposal also calls for five non-permanent seats for the continent.
The Security Council currently consists of 15 members, including five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — each of which possesses veto power. Despite representing more than 1.4 billion people and accounting for 54 sovereign states, Africa currently has no permanent seat on the Council.
Beyond the call for reform, Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism, diplomacy and international cooperation. He urged world leaders to recommit to dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility in addressing global conflicts and humanitarian crises. The Vice President also stressed the importance of international law and warned against a global environment in which propaganda blurs the distinction between victims and aggressors.
Nigeria further argued that a reformed and more inclusive Security Council would strengthen the legitimacy of the United Nations and improve its ability to respond to contemporary security challenges. The country pointed to its longstanding contributions to peacekeeping and regional stability efforts across Africa, including missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and The Gambia, as evidence of its commitment to international peace and security.
The renewed demand comes amid growing international discussions on reforming global governance institutions to better reflect present-day realities. While support for greater African representation has increased in recent years, any amendment to the structure of the Security Council would require broad international consensus and changes to the UN Charter.
For Nigeria and many African nations, however, the issue remains one of fairness, legitimacy and ensuring that the continent has a permanent voice in decisions that shape global peace and security.
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