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President Tinubu in an address read by Vice President Shettima, has demanded at least two permanent Security Council seats for Africa with full rights, including veto power
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Tinubu said the world cannot continue to be governed by a power structure created in 1945, demanding a fundamental overhaul of the United Nations
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The Nigerian leader called for an immediate end to global conflicts, renewed respect for the UN Charter and stronger multilateral action against emerging security threats
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Tinubu also demanded overhaul of global financial architecture and fairer climate financing, while reaffirming Nigeria’s Paris Agreement commitment and 2060 net-zero target
September 24, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has challenged the existing global power structure, declaring that the world cannot continue to be governed in 2026 by a distribution of power established in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Tinubu made the declaration in his address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, which was delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the global gathering.
The President, in the address read by Shettima during the General Debate, demanded a fundamental restructuring of the United Nations Security Council to give Africa permanent representation, insisting that the continent could no longer remain central to the Council’s agenda while being excluded from permanent membership.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He demanded at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities attached to permanent membership, including veto power for as long as the veto remains part of the Council’s structure.
Tinubu also demanded five non-permanent seats for the continent.
“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,” he said
Tinubu Calls For End To Global Wars
In the address delivered by Shettima, Tinubu also called for an immediate end to armed conflicts and a renewed commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.
He warned that countries could not afford to treat conflicts in other parts of the world as distant problems, arguing that insecurity, humanitarian crises and geopolitical instability increasingly transcend national borders.
“The persistence of conflict across the world recalls the purpose for which the United Nations was founded: to spare succeeding generations the devastation of war,” the President said.
He urged world leaders to return to dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility, insisting that diplomacy must take precedence over coercion and international law over the arbitrary use of power.
“Nigeria stands by the Charter and its promise of a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary exercise of power,” he declared.
Tinubu said the international community must restore confidence in multilateral institutions and reject unilateral aggression and the growing tendency towards nationalism.
He warned against a situation in which propaganda and geopolitical interests could obscure responsibility for conflicts and undermine accountability.
“We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor. 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 Reaffirms Peacekeeping Role
The President presented Nigeria’s longstanding role in regional peacekeeping as part of the country’s case for greater African participation in global security decision-making.
He recalled Nigeria’s contributions to peace and stabilisation efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, where the country deployed personnel and resources during periods of crisis.
According to Tinubu, Nigeria remains prepared to assume greater responsibility for restoring peace and stability in Africa through regional and continental institutions.
“Through ECOWAS, the African Union and our Gulf of Guinea partnerships, we continue to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security,” he said, adding that Nigeria’s foreign policy was founded on the conviction that peace and development were mutually reinforcing.
The President also called for urgent diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts in Sudan and other war-affected countries, citing their humanitarian, economic and geopolitical consequences.
Tinubu Demands Global Financial Shake-Up
Beyond security and UN reform, Tinubu called for a restructuring of the international financial architecture, arguing that developing countries require greater access to affordable financing to pursue sustainable development.
He said inadequate financing remained one of the biggest obstacles to development, with debt-servicing obligations consuming resources that could otherwise be invested in education, healthcare and infrastructure.
“One of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development is inadequate financing,” he said.
Tinubu called for wider access to concessional financing and debt-sustainability arrangements that recognise the developmental circumstances of poorer countries.
He also demanded more equitable participation by developing countries in global economic decision-making, linking financial reform to the broader question of representation within international institutions.
The President said Nigeria was pursuing sustainable development domestically through macroeconomic management, stronger institutions, private-sector growth and strategic public investment.
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Africa Seeks Climate Finance, Fair Energy Transition
On climate change, Tinubu rejected what he described as a false choice between development and climate action.
He argued that developing countries must be able to industrialise, eradicate poverty and expand energy access while pursuing low-carbon development pathways.
However, he stressed that such a transition must be supported by technology transfer and adequate climate financing from the international community.
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and a fair energy transition, noting that Africa contributes less than four per cent of global emissions but faces significant climate-related consequences.
Under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, he said the country is working towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 while expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Nigeria Targets Digital, AI Expansion
Tinubu also addressed the growing global influence of artificial intelligence, saying Nigeria would not allow uncertainty surrounding emerging technologies to determine its technological future.
He described AI as a tool whose impact would depend on human choices and said Nigeria was expanding digital public infrastructure, broadband deployment and technology entrepreneurship.
The President said the country would continue investing in its digital economy while seeking to ensure that technological development contributes to broader economic opportunity and human advancement.
Security Threats Require Global Action
Drawing from Nigeria’s prolonged battle against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups, Tinubu argued that modern security threats cannot be contained by individual countries acting alone.
“No nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders,” he said.
He identified terrorism and cyberattacks as examples of threats that exploit gaps in international cooperation.
But the President stressed that military action alone could not deliver lasting security, arguing that sustainable peace also required education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and respect for human rights.
As a founding member of ECOWAS, Tinubu said Nigeria remained committed to regional solidarity and African leadership in confronting security challenges, supported by international partnerships.
Background
President Tinubu did not personally deliver the address in New York. He mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly and deliver the country’s national statement on his behalf.
The Federal Government had said Shettima would present Nigeria’s positions on international institutional reform, peace and security, climate action, sustainable development and a more equitable global economic order.
The call for Security Council reform is a longstanding African Union position. Through the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, African countries have demanded at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats on the Council, with permanent members enjoying the same rights and responsibilities as existing permanent members, including veto power while the veto remains in place.
The current Security Council has 15 members, comprising five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
Africa has no permanent seat on the Council despite the continent’s centrality to the UN’s peace and security agenda.
Tinubu’s address, therefore, placed Nigeria’s longstanding demand for African representation within a broader call for changes to global security governance, international finance, climate financing and multilateral cooperation.
The Nigerian leader said a reformed and inclusive United Nations remained essential to creating a peaceful, just and sustainable international order.
“Whatever our differences, we must remember that humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child,” the President said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
