Nigeria has renewed its push for Africa to safe everlasting, veto-wielding seats on the United Nations Safety Council, insisting that complete reforms of world governance buildings can not be delayed.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the decision on Monday in the course of the first plenary session on Peace, Safety, Governance and Multilateralism on the seventh African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu additionally urged the European Union (EU) to co-create peace and safety interventions with African companions, stressing that such efforts have to be anchored on African-led frameworks to make sure lasting stability throughout the continent.
He disclosed that greater than 250,000 Boko Haram-affiliated people had surrendered in early 2025, a growth he attributed to Nigeria’s mixed kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
“It’s time for Africa to occupy everlasting seats on the UN Safety Council, with all attendant privileges, together with the veto,” the President mentioned.
“Real text-based negotiations below the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework should now begin. It’s our hope that EU Member States will help Africa’s long-standing and legit name for reform of the United Nations.”
President Tinubu mentioned the continent’s rising safety pressures, together with armed battle, illicit weapons flows, local weather stress, irregular migration, and political instability, demand pressing and enhanced worldwide cooperation.
He famous that whereas the EU has been a dedicated accomplice for the reason that institution of the African Peace and Safety Structure in 2002, regional instability continues to gasoline terrorism, insurgency and organised crime.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategy, he mentioned the Multinational Joint Process Power (MNJTF) within the Lake Chad Basin stays an efficient mannequin of African-led collaborative safety.
“As of early 2025, over 120,000 Boko Haram-affiliated people, together with members of the family, have surrendered,” he acknowledged.
He additionally cited the current Sea-Elevate Settlement between the Nigerian Navy and the AU Standby Power as a part of efforts to strengthen Africa’s speedy deployment capabilities for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
Turning to irregular migration, the President confused the necessity for options that acknowledge its {economic} and demographic roots, warning that criminalising mobility has worsened insecurity.
He proposed alternate options equivalent to structured labour pathways and cross-continental abilities partnerships.
“Seasonal mobility has underpinned West African civilisation for hundreds of years,” he mentioned. “Our joint process is to transform mobility into protected, orderly, and productive pathways that profit each continents.”
President Tinubu additionally condemned the resurgence of Unconstitutional Adjustments of Authorities (UCGs) in Africa, linking them to exterior pressures that distort fragile political techniques.
He revealed that Nigeria and neighbouring states have launched the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) to strengthen constitutional order, counter extremist narratives, and help governance reforms throughout West Africa.
He additional drew consideration to crises in Sudan and South Sudan, urging accountability for exterior actors fuelling battle and reaffirming the necessity for sustained diplomacy.
The President reiterated Nigeria’s opposition to the usage of personal army contractors in African conflicts, warning that such actors typically complicate peace efforts and undermine sovereignty.
He described the EU as a vital accomplice at a time when international dedication to multilateralism is weakening.
“Nigeria stays firmly dedicated to advancing peace, safety, and democratic governance throughout the continent,” he added.
President Tinubu expressed appreciation to the Authorities and folks of Angola for his or her hospitality and thanked the EU for its longstanding help to the African Union, significantly in peace and safety initiatives.
