President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday made a case for Africa to have two permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Presidential spokesman on information and strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement that Tinubu presented the demand at the ongoing Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Japan.
“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. Africa’s voice must be heard. Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the permanent category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the right of veto. This is not a favour. It is a historic imperative. It is justice. 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,” the president said.
Tinubu also praised Nigeria’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.
He added that he had made Nigeria’s position clear on the country honouring its armed forces not only for the battles they fight, but for the peace they help the citizens build.
“We will keep honouring them by addressing the root causes of insecurity. Peace is not just the absence of war. It is justice. It is opportunity. It is inclusion. That is where our reforms are focused. Our mission is to win both the battle and the future,” he said.
President 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.
He 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.
