President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday demanded at least two permanent seats for Africa on the United Nations Security Council.
He said the continent could no longer remain excluded from the body’s permanent membership while bearing much of the burden of conflicts on its soil.
Tinubu, in a speech delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, also called for five non-permanent seats for Africa, with permanent membership carrying the same rights and responsibilities as those of existing permanent members, including the veto for as long as it remains in existence.
He said Nigeria was also seeking reform of the international financial architecture to ease debt pressures on developing countries, while demanding predictable climate finance and technology transfer to enable African countries to pursue development without compromising climate goals.
The President further urged stronger international cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance, saying military victories alone could not guarantee lasting peace without addressing poverty, exclusion, injustice and lack of economic opportunities.
He also called for greater use of diplomacy in resolving conflicts, particularly in Sudan and other war-torn countries, and warned against the use of propaganda to obscure responsibility for attacks on civilians.
Tinubu said UN reform should begin with the Security Council.
He said: ‘The reform of this institution must begin with the reconstitution of the Security Council, for the world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945.
‘Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership.’
The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II.
Tinubu said: ‘Nigeria demands, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including the veto for as long as it exists, and five non-permanent seats in total.
‘The authority to speak for humanity carries an obligation to represent it.’
Tinubu said Nigeria was prepared to assume greater responsibility in international peace and security, citing the country’s contributions to peace operations and regional security initiatives.
‘From Liberia and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, we have committed personnel and resources when international solidarity required action,’ he said.
He added that Nigeria continued to support mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and Gulf of Guinea partnerships.
The President linked Nigeria’s foreign policy to its domestic economic reforms, saying the country was pursuing sound macroeconomic management, stronger institutions, private-sector development and strategic public investment.
On climate change, Tinubu rejected what he described as a false choice between development and climate action.
‘Developing countries must industrialise, eradicate poverty and expand energy access through low-carbon pathways supported by technology transfer, capacity building and climate finance,’ he said.
He noted that Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers disproportionate consequences of climate change.
Nigeria, he said, remained committed to the Paris Agreement and an equitable energy transition that took account of historical responsibility and the varying capacities of countries.
Under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, Tinubu said the country was working towards net-zero emissions by 2060 while expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
He said the strategy included renewable energy, clean cooking, gas as a transitional fuel, climate-smart agriculture and nature-based solutions.
But he stressed that climate finance should be based on equity and shared responsibility rather than charity.
‘Finance must be governed by equity and shared responsibility rather than charity, with international commitments translated into accessible, predictable and adequately funded mechanisms enabling developing countries to pursue climate action without compromising development objectives,’ he said.
Tinubu also defended the responsible use of artificial intelligence, urging countries not to allow fear of the technology to prevent its potential benefits.
‘We refuse to surrender our technological future to paranoia,’ he said.
He compared AI to a knife, saying the same invention could cause harm or save lives depending on how it was used.
‘We can deploy artificial intelligence to wage war or use it to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and economic productivity,’ he said.
He said Nigeria was investing in digital public infrastructure, broadband connectivity, innovation ecosystems, research institutions and technology entrepreneurship.
The President invited international partners to work with Nigerian youths to harness AI for development rather than destruction.
On financing for development, Tinubu said inadequate funding remained one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development, particularly as developing countries devote substantial resources to servicing debts that could otherwise fund education, healthcare and infrastructure.
‘Nigeria therefore calls for reform of the international financial architecture, wider access to concessional financing and debt sustainability frameworks that recognise developmental needs,’ he said.
He also backed private capital, blended finance, South-South cooperation and strategic partnerships to fund sustainable development, climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure.
Tinubu described the African Continental Free Trade Area as one of Africa’s most transformative opportunities, saying it could strengthen regional value chains, increase intra-African trade, promote industrialisation and attract investment.
He urged African countries to move away from exporting raw materials towards greater value addition, manufacturing, technological innovation and knowledge-driven growth.
‘Our abundant natural resources must become engines of shared prosperity rather than sources of perpetual dependency,’ he said.
On security, the President said terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance exploited gaps between national responses.
He said Nigeria’s experience in fighting Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups had demonstrated that military action must be complemented by development and accountable governance.
‘Military victories require enduring foundations in education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and communities whose rights and dignity are protected,’ he said.
Tinubu called for greater intelligence sharing, stronger institutional capacity and measures to disrupt the financing of terrorism and prevent the movement of weapons across borders.
He said insecurity in the Sahel had demonstrated how instability in one country could affect neighbouring states through displacement, disruption of commerce and threats to democratic governance.
On global conflicts, the President said Nigeria remained committed to peaceful dispute resolution under the UN Charter.
He called for urgent diplomacy over the war in Sudan and other conflicts, insisting that parties must comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.
‘Within and beyond our continent, no claim to security can justify starving children, denying relief to civilians or erasing communities from the land they call home,’ he said.
Tinubu also criticised the use of propaganda to shield perpetrators from accountability.
‘We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor,’ he said.
‘When our investment in propaganda shields perpetrators from justice to the point that telling the truth becomes a crime, the promise of this institution stands betrayed.’
He said Nigeria believed lasting peace required dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive political processes rather than military victories alone.
He urged the UN to strengthen peacekeeping while giving greater attention to peacebuilding, mediation, institution-building and sustainable development.
‘Prevention must command greater resources and political attention,’ he said.
Tinubu said Africa’s youthful population, natural resources, expanding markets and resilience could make the continent a major driver of global growth.
He said developing countries should be treated as indispensable partners in finding global solutions rather than primarily as recipients of assistance.
The President said Nigeria would continue to support a UN that was inclusive and responsive to changing global realities.
‘Institutions that adapt preserve their relevance; those that resist change imperil it,’ he said.
He called for cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over division and partnership over isolation.
‘Whatever our differences, we must remember that humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child,’ Tinubu said.