Nigeria has secured the backing of some West African countries to clinch a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
The UN Security Council, established in 1945, currently has 15 members — five permanent members (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms without veto power.
Africa, despite having 54 member states in the UN, does not have any permanent representation in the council.
The United States has proposed adding two permanent seats for African countries on the Security Council and Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt are the strong contenders for a permanent seat.
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These countries are frequently highlighted due to their economic, political, and diplomatic influence on the continent but the final decision will likely involve extensive negotiations within the African Union and among UN member states.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, told a press conference in Abuja that he had recently led a delegation to Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia and Guinea Bissau to solicit their support for the country in its bid to get one of the permanent seats for Africa at the UN security council.
“Everywhere we went, we had the opportunity to discuss and solicit support for Nigeria’s intention to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council because this is something that is a hot topic at the moment and all the countries we visited said they are in the same region but they know there is no other country that is best suited, best qualified to speak on behalf of the continent more than Nigeria and they assured us of their support when the time comes.
“Some volunteered even to start doing that groundwork right away and the second issue we discussed was the opening that exists in the International Court of Justice where Nigeria is presenting its candidate, Femi Elias and again all countries we visited. All assured us of their support for Nigeria candidate and this is just the first phase of this shuttle diplomacy within the West Africa region.
“We had a break because of other engagements happening in between and as soon as those events are over we will return to shuttle diplomacy,” he said.
The minister said a seat in the United Nations Security Council was important because 68 per cent of decisions made at the Council involved Africa, yet there is no African country with a permanent seat there.
“So, it’s important that Nigeria is in there, it’s important that Nigeria represents and speak for not just ourselves, not just our region, not just the continent but for the world as a whole.
“This is what this administration is ready to do. President (Bola) Tinubu is pushing hard, fully committed to it and we are getting the right response because for the first time, the United States came out and issued a statement and said they are fully in support of permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council for Africa,” Tuggar said.
