Editorial: Nigeria’s quest for permanent seat at UN Security Council

Speaking on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima declared unequivocally: “Nigeria must have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. This should take place as part of a wider process of institutional reform.”

The call is not novel. Nigerian governments, past and present, have echoed it for nearly two decades. Yet each year, as the world evolves and the UN structure remains frozen in the architecture of 1945, the logic of Nigeria’s demand grows stronger — and the cost of delay more consequential.

We, at Straightnews online, align with this call, and take a principled stand in support of Nigeria’s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. This position is based on three pillars: historical justice, geopolitical equity, and Nigeria’s demonstrable leadership in multilateral affairs.

The Security Council was created in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Its five permanent members, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia (then USSR), and China, were the victorious powers that shaped the post-war order.

Africa, mostly under colonial rule at the time, was excluded entirely.

Seventy-nine years later, the composition of the Security Council has remained virtually unchanged, while the global landscape has shifted dramatically. Africa is now home to 54 sovereign states. It is one of the fastest-growing continents, demographically and economically. Yet it remains without a single permanent voice in the most consequential body of the United Nations.

This is not just an oversight. It is a structural injustice.

Among the nations of Africa, Nigeria is the most compelling and credible candidate for permanent membership. With a population exceeding 236 million, Nigeria is the most populous Black nation and one of the 10 largest in the world. It is also a democratic federation with vast regional influence.

Nigeria’s track record in international peacekeeping is well documented. From Liberia and Sierra Leone to Darfur and the Congo, Nigerian troops have served and died under UN and ECOWAS mandates to restore peace in Africa and beyond. Furthermore, Nigeria founded National Committee Against Apartheid (NACAP), fought and gained freedom for South Africa from colonial apparition and vestiges .

Nigeria has served four terms as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and chaired its committees with competence. It is a founding member of the African Union (AU), a central player in ECOWAS, and a leading voice in the G77 and Non-Aligned Movement.

The case for Nigeria is not simply about size, it is about service.

As Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar rightly stated, “Nearly 60 per cent of Security Council resolutions concern Africa. Yet Africa has no permanent seat. That must change.”

A central issue in the reform debate is whether new permanent members should be granted veto power — the most contentious privilege of the current P5.

Nigeria, and the African Union through the Ezulwini Consensus, have been clear: any permanent seat granted to Africa must come with all rights and responsibilities, including the veto. Anything less would institutionalise second-class membership and merely perpetuate the imbalance it seeks to resolve.

Straightnews newspaper recognises that the pursuit of reform is as much political as it is moral. Nigeria must be prepared to engage diplomatically, strategically, and transparently. It must define its expectations clearly, negotiate from a position of unity with other African states, and avoid being caught in the web of great-power rivalry.

In supporting Nigeria’s global aspirations, we must not lose sight of the domestic challenges that could weaken its credibility abroad.

Persistent insecurity, endemic corruption, weak institutions, and human rights concerns diminish Nigeria’s image as a responsible and effective actor. A nation that cannot protect its citizens, guarantee the rule of law, or conduct elections transparently will struggle to convince others of its capacity to influence global peace and security.

Nigeria’s demand for international legitimacy must, therefore, be matched with demonstrable progress in domestic governance.

The case for a permanent African seat at the UN Security Council is unassailable. The case for Nigeria to occupy one of those seats is formidable.

But the reform of the UN will not come by mere declaration. It will come through sustained diplomacy, strategic coalition-building, principled leadership, and internal reform.

We urge the Nigerian government to pursue this goal with clear objectives, humility, and patience — but without retreat.

As President Tinubu noted, “The UN must reflect the world as it is, not as it was.”

Nigeria, and indeed Africa, can no longer afford to sit on the margins while others make decisions that shape our destiny.

It is time — long past time — for Nigeria to take its rightful seat. Not just at the table, but in the engine room of global peace, justice, and security.