Africa deserves two permanent seats at UN Security Council

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu in Yokohama, Japan, advocated for reforms at the United Nations (UN), demanding two seats for Africa in the Security Council.

Speaking during his intervention at the plenary session on Peace and Stability at the ongoing 9th meeting of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9), the Nigerian leader, called on the Japanese government to support the campaign for reforms in the United Nations’ organs, especially the United Nations Security Council, to give African countries a greater voice.

He further called for 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. 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, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration”, Tinubu said.

“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. 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, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration,” Tinubu stated as quoted in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).
Tinubu also praised the country’s armed forces for their achievements in the fight against insurgency and criminality, but stressed that military victories must be matched with efforts to tackle root causes of insecurity.

“Nigeria’s brave armed forces can win any number of battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we, as government, are courageous in tackling not just terror, but also the underlying causes,” he said.

Tinubu described peace and stability as indispensable to Africa’s development, pointing to recent peace pacts in Congo as evidence that linking mediation with economic considerations can bring results.

“In the past, competition for resources has weakened states and triggered conflict. Now, we see mediators directly linking outcomes to investment in Congo. It is working and underlines the need for fresh thinking in everything we do to deliver peace and stability,” he added.

The President urged a shift from dependency on aid to market-driven partnerships, highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing investments in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and collaboration with civil society and international partners to raise living standards.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who opened the conference, emphasised cooperation built on local solutions and mutual understanding.

He announced a new $5.5 billion collaborative framework between Japan and the African Development Bank to boost private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration.