Nigeria has called for a major overhaul of the United Nations Security Council, demanded stronger climate and development financing, and urged global cooperation on security, artificial intelligence and international peacebuilding.
Nigeria has demanded at least two permanent seats for Africa on the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the current structure no longer reflects the distribution of power or the realities of the modern world.
The demand was contained in a statement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2026.
The session is being held under the theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
Tinubu said the reform of the UN must begin with the “reconstitution” of the Security Council, insisting that the world in 2026 should not remain governed by a power structure established in 1945.
“Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership,” the president said.
Nigeria is seeking, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, at least two permanent African seats with full rights and responsibilities, including veto powers for as long as the veto exists, as well as five non-permanent seats for the continent.
The president said Africa’s representation on the Council must reflect both its responsibilities and its contributions to international peace and security.
He cited Nigeria’s involvement in peace operations and regional interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia as evidence of the country’s readiness to assume a greater global role.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s work through the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and Gulf of Guinea partnerships in mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security.
Nigeria backs diplomacy over coercion
Tinubu urged nations to return to the UN’s founding principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility, warning that the persistence of conflicts around the world has exposed the human cost of inaction.
Nigeria, he said, remained committed to a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary use of power.
Addressing conflicts in Sudan and other war-torn countries, the president called for urgent diplomacy, protection of civilians and unhindered humanitarian access.
He said all parties must respect international humanitarian and human rights law, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“No claim to security can justify starving children, denying relief to civilians or erasing communities from the land they call home,” he said.
Tinubu further warned against the manipulation of information to shield perpetrators from accountability, saying the UN’s credibility would be undermined if propaganda made it impossible to distinguish victims from aggressors.
He called for greater investment not only in peacekeeping but also in peacebuilding, mediation, institution-building and sustainable development.
Prevention, he argued, should receive more resources and political attention because military victories alone cannot deliver lasting peace.
Climate action must not block development
The president rejected what he described as a false choice between development and climate action. He said developing countries must be allowed to industrialise, reduce poverty and expand access to energy through low-carbon pathways supported by technology transfer, capacity building and climate finance.
Although Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, he said the continent bears a disproportionate share of the consequences of climate change.
Nigeria, he said, remained committed to the Paris Agreement and to an equitable energy transition that recognises historical responsibility and national capacity while protecting the right of developing countries to grow.
Under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, the country is working towards net-zero emissions by 2060. The plan includes renewable energy, clean cooking, gas as a transitional fuel, climate-smart agriculture and nature-based solutions.
Tinubu called for climate finance to be based on equity and shared responsibility rather than charity. International pledges, he said, must be converted into accessible, predictable and adequately funded mechanisms that enable developing countries to pursue climate action without sacrificing development objectives.
Call for international financial reform
The president identified inadequate financing as one of the greatest barriers to sustainable development, noting that many developing countries spend substantial resources servicing debt that could otherwise support education, healthcare and infrastructure.
He called for reforms to the international financial architecture, broader access to concessional financing and debt-sustainability frameworks that take developmental needs into account.
Nigeria also supports private capital, blended finance, South-South cooperation and strategic partnerships to fund sustainable development, climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure, according to the statement.
Tinubu pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as one of the continent’s most significant opportunities. He said the agreement could strengthen regional value chains, expand intra-African trade, accelerate industrialisation and attract investment.
Africa, he added, must move beyond its traditional role as an exporter of raw materials by expanding value addition, manufacturing, technological innovation and knowledge-driven growth.
Nigeria urges responsible use of artificial intelligence
On artificial intelligence, Tinubu rejected what he called a surrender of the technological future to fear and paranoia.
He said AI could be used destructively or deployed to improve healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and economic productivity, depending on the intentions and judgment of those controlling it.
Nigeria, he said, is investing in digital public infrastructure, broadband connectivity, innovation ecosystems, research institutions and technology entrepreneurship. He invited international partners to work with Nigeria’s young people to ensure that AI serves human advancement rather than destruction.
The president suggested that much of the anxiety surrounding AI was rooted in a broader crisis of trust among nations and societies. Restoring confidence, he said, would require responsible governance and international cooperation.
Security threats cross borders
Tinubu warned that terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance exploit gaps between national responses.
He referred to Nigeria’s prolonged fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups, saying the experience had demonstrated that military success must be reinforced by education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and the protection of community rights and dignity.
Development, he said, cannot take root where violence repeatedly destroys livelihoods, while peace cannot last if injustice and exclusion continue to fuel recruitment by armed groups.
Nigeria called for stronger intelligence-sharing, institutional capacity, disruption of terrorist financing and measures to stop weapons moving across borders.
Tinubu identified the turmoil in the Sahel as a warning that insecurity in one country can threaten neighbouring states, displace populations and undermine trade, regional integration and democratic governance.
As a founding member of ECOWAS, Nigeria, he said, would continue to support regional solidarity and African-led responses backed by principled international partnerships.
Africa positioned as a global growth engine
Tinubu described Africa as a continent ready to play a larger role in the global economy, citing its resilience, youthful population, natural resources, growing markets and innovative capacity.
He argued that developing countries should be treated as indispensable partners in solving global problems, rather than primarily as recipients of assistance.
The president linked Africa’s future to deeper regional integration, faster industrialisation and stronger participation in global value chains. He said the continent’s natural resources must become engines of shared prosperity instead of sources of continued dependency.
Concluding the address, Tinubu pledged that Nigeria would choose cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over division, hope over fear and partnership over isolation.
He called for a reformed, inclusive and effective United Nations capable of responding to the aspirations of all nations and safeguarding future generations. “Humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child,” the president said.
