President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday called for reforms at the United Nations (UN) to give Africa permanent representation on the security council.
Speaking at the plenary session on peace and stability during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, Tinubu argued that Africa deserves two permanent seats with full privileges.
The President said the continent also deserves additional non-permanent seats in line with the Ezulwini consensus and Sirte declaration.
“It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand,” Tinubu said.
“Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the permanent category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the right of veto. Africa also deserves additional seats in the non-permanent seat category of the security council.”
He also used the forum to laud the Nigerian armed forces for recent successes in the fight against insurgency and criminality, describing their momentum as a “springboard for national development and stability”.
According to Tinubu, military victories alone cannot guarantee lasting peace without addressing poverty, inequality, and exclusion.
Tinubu called for new approaches to peace-building in Africa, pointing to peace agreements recently brokered in the Congo as examples of how mediation linked with economic investment can deliver results.