Nigeria Demands Two Permanent UN Seats for Africa

( Vice-President Kashim Shettima. Photo by Nairametrics)

Nigeria is pushing hard for two permanent seats on the UN Security Council, complete with veto power.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima made the case during President Tinubu's address at the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

He also called for five additional non-permanent seats for Africa, aligned with what the continent has been demanding for years.

Shettima argued the Security Council no longer fits the world as it exists today.

The current structure has been locked in place since 1945, he said, and no longer reflects how geopolitical power actually works.

Africa has been left out of permanent membership while problems affecting the continent dominate the Council's agenda.

This doesn't make sense, he insisted, especially when global institutions claim to act on behalf of all humanity but exclude much of it from decision-making.

Nigeria's push follows longstanding African Union positions outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

The AU doubled down on this demand in May, framing Africa's absence from permanent representation as a historical injustice that needs fixing.

The five permanent seats currently belong to China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

Each holds veto power. Africa has no permanent representative.

Shettima tied Security Council reform to rebuilding trust in global cooperation as tensions between nations widen.

He highlighted Nigeria's track record in peacekeeping across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, plus ongoing work through ECOWAS and the African Union.

He stressed that persistent conflict in Sudan and elsewhere demands urgent dialogue and cooperation rather than escalation.

He warned against propaganda that distorts who bears responsibility for violence, which only muddies accountability.

An inclusive and effective UN, he concluded, remains essential for peace and development in this century.

VIDEO🚨: Nigeria demands at least two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council for Africa.

- Vice President, Kashim Shettima at a session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) pic.twitter.com/LT0ywxvNKm

— The Daily Beam (@TheDailyBeam) September 25, 2026