NIGERIA: Nigeria Pushes For Permanent UN Security Council Seats For Africa At AU–EU Summit

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria has renewed its call for Africa to secure permanent seats with veto-wielding authority at the United Nations Security Council, insisting that reform of the global governance system is long overdue.

The demand was delivered at the 7th African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged the European Union to partner with African nations in co-creating peace and security initiatives anchored on African-led frameworks.

Speaking during the plenary session on Peace, Security, Governance, and Multilateralism, the President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, called for a shift toward sustainable stability across the continent.

He disclosed that more than 250,000 Boko Haram-affiliated individuals had surrendered in early 2025, adding to Nigeria’s ongoing counter-insurgency gains. According to him, these successes stem from the government’s adoption of “a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures.”

The President also acknowledged the EU as one of the African Union’s most reliable partners under the African Peace and Security Architecture since 2002. He however stressed that persistent instability fuels terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and transnational organised crime.

He highlighted the effectiveness of African-led cooperative security models such as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin.

Tinubu noted further improvements in regional stability, citing the recent Sea-Lift Agreement between the Nigerian Navy and the AU Standby Force, which enhances Africa’s rapid deployment capability for peace operations and humanitarian missions.

He commended the EU’s continued commitment to restoring peace in the Sahel region while acknowledging Europe’s concerns over irregular migration originating from ungoverned territories affected by insecurity.

Calling for equitable global decision-making, the President insisted that Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership on the UN Security Council was unjustifiable.

“It is time for Africa to occupy permanent seats on the UN Security Council, with all attendant privileges, including the veto,” he said, adding that text-based negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiations framework must commence immediately.

He expressed optimism that EU member states would support Africa’s long-standing demand for UN reform.

On irregular migration, President Tinubu stated that the phenomenon should not be criminalised but understood within its economic and demographic context.

He proposed structured labour pathways, including Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and Business Process Outsourcing programs, which harness Africa’s expanding youthful population.

The President emphasised that the challenges of armed conflict, illicit weapons circulation, political instability, climate pressures, and insecurity across Africa make stronger cooperation between the AU and EU essential.

He stressed that addressing these issues requires renewed focus on preventive diplomacy, inclusive governance, and long-term investment in people and infrastructure.