Nigeria has secured backing from several West African nations in its quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
The UN Security Council, established in 1945, comprises 15 members, including five permanent members (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms without veto power.
Despite Africa’s 54 member states in the UN, the continent lacks a permanent representative on the council.
Nigeria, along with South Africa and Egypt, is vying for one of the proposed two additional permanent seats for African countries.
While these three nations are the leading contenders, the final decision will require extensive discussions both within the African Union and with other UN member states.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, revealed in a press briefing in Abuja that he had recently visited Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau to solicit their support for Nigeria’s bid for a permanent Security Council seat.
“We discussed and sought support for Nigeria’s bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Every country we visited, despite being from the same region, agreed that no other nation is better suited or more qualified than Nigeria to represent Africa on the global stage. They assured us of their support when the time comes,” Tuggar stated.
He added that some countries expressed willingness to begin work immediately to support Nigeria’s candidacy.
In addition to the Security Council bid, Tuggar discussed Nigeria’s candidate for the International Court of Justice, Femi Elias, noting that all the nations visited also pledged their support for Nigeria’s candidate.
Tuggar emphasized the significance of a permanent seat for Nigeria, pointing out that 68% of decisions made by the UN Security Council pertain to Africa, yet no African country holds a permanent seat.
“The lack of a permanent African seat in the UN Security Council is a glaring gap. Nigeria’s representation is crucial, not only for our region but for the continent and the world at large,” said Tuggar.
He highlighted that President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to this cause, adding that the U.S. has expressed support for a permanent African presence on the Security Council.
