Eshiorameh Sebastian
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of has demanded permanent seats with veto wielding authority for Africa in the United Nations Security Council.
This is even as he rejected the idea foreign private military companies operating on the continent, asserting that Africa’s security must be African led.
Tinubu made the declarations on Monday during the first plenary session on Peace, Security, Governance and Multilateralism at the 7th African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu articulated a vision of global reform and regional self-determination that represents one of the most assertive positions taken by an African leader on the international stage in recent years.
“It is time for Africa to occupy permanent seats on the UN Security Council, with all attendant privileges, including the veto,” President Tinubu stated unequivocally.
He emphasised the urgent need for systemic change, adding, “Genuine text-based negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework must now commence. It is our hope that EU Member States will support Africa’s long-standing and legitimate call for reform of the United Nations.”
This call for reform underscores a collective frustration with a post-World War II global governance architecture that no longer reflects 21st-century geopolitical realities.
Shifting focus to continental security, President Tinubu presented a robust framework for peacekeeping that prioritizes regional ownership and explicitly excludes foreign mercenary forces.
“We stand resolutely against the use of private military and security companies (PMCs) in African conflicts, as their presence often complicates resolution efforts and undermines state sovereignty,” he asserted.
This position marks a significant foreign policy stance for Nigeria and aligns with a growing continental consensus against the proliferation of foreign security contractors, whose activities have been widely criticized.
Instead of external interventions, the President championed African-led cooperative security models, pointing to Nigeria’s own successes as a blueprint. He revealed that a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures had yielded dramatic results. “As of early 2025, over 120,000 Boko Haram-affiliated individuals, including family members, have surrendered,” he disclosed, providing tangible evidence that strategies developed and executed by African nations are effective.
He highlighted the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin as an “effective model of African-led cooperative security.”
President Tinubu’s address also served as a direct challenge to the European Union to recalibrate its partnership with Africa. He argued that for initiatives to succeed, they must be deeply rooted in local contexts. “However, recent experience has shown that externally driven initiatives, however well-intentioned, cannot succeed at pace without strong regional ownership and a grounded understanding of local dynamics,” he cautioned. “Peace and security initiatives must therefore be co-created with African partners and anchored in African-led frameworks.”
Beyond security, the Nigerian leader addressed the resurgence of Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCGs), announcing the creation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) with Nigeria’s neighbours. This initiative is designed to strengthen constitutional order and support governance reforms across West Africa. “It reflects our conviction that security and democratic stability must be pursued simultaneously,” he explained.
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