Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar has disclosed that Nigeria will intensify its push for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council during the ongoing 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and its side events.
He made this disclosure following the arrival of Vice President Kashim Shettima in New York, United States of America, according to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), dated 22 September 2025.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Vice President is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the global event, participate in the UN high-level general debates, and attend various side events.
Speaking on Nigeria’s objectives for this year’s UNGA, Foreign Affairs Minister Amb. Yusuf Tuggar said Nigeria will champion the United Nations Global Convention on Taxation, which is central to the ongoing push to reform the global financial architecture.
He added that the Nigerian government will also seek a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
“This is something that has positioned Nigeria as a leader, and you could see that during the briefing for the Vice President, where Ministers and senior government officials were present. The whole idea of the briefing is to ensure we are all aligned. So, in our engagements, we must promote this; we must also promote Nigeria’s push to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council because Africa has a common African position,” he added.
“Some of the areas we are focusing on involve solid mineral resources, in which Nigeria is performing exceptionally well. We are also targeting other sectors like agriculture and skills-based education across our economy,” he said.
Recall that in September last year, the United States expressed support for creating two permanent seats for African nations on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as part of ongoing efforts to reform the powerful global body.
The U.S. proposal responded to long-standing demands from developing countries, including African nations such as Nigeria, for permanent representation on the UNSC, which currently consists of five permanent members—the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the U.K.—all holding veto power.
The UN Security Council is the principal organ of the UN responsible for maintaining international peace and security.