UN: At the podium, Nigeria demands two permanent seats with veto power for Africa

Nigeria demanded, on September 25, 2026, in New York, that at least two permanent seats on the UN Security Council be granted to Africa, with veto power as long as this privilege exists. The message was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who read President Bola Tinubu's national statement before the 81st General Assembly, according to Nairametrics.

Abuja is also calling for five non-permanent seats for the continent. This request is not improvised: it repeats word for word the African common position, established by the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration adopted within the framework of the African Union.

A Council frozen since 1945

For Kashim Shettima, the current architecture no longer corresponds to geopolitical realities and weakens the legitimacy of global decisions. "The world of 2026 cannot remain a prisoner of the power distribution of 1945," he declared, according to Nairametrics. The Council has fifteen members, including five permanent members with veto power (China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia). Africa, which accounts for more than a quarter of UN member states, has no permanent seat.

The paradox is all the more striking as the continent occupies a large part of the Council's agenda. According to Al Jazeera, of the 24 resolutions adopted in 2025 under Chapter VII, which covers sanctions and the use of force, 18 concerned Africa. In other words, Africa is very often the subject of decisions without being a permanent co-decision-maker.

Ghana on the same page

Nigeria is not isolated. Ghanaian President John Mahama also stated before the Assembly, as cited by Al Jazeera, that the reform of the Council was "not a favor done to Africa" but a necessity for the credibility and survival of the UN.

Obstacles remain intact

Negotiations on the reform, launched in 2008, have still not succeeded. Amending the United Nations Charter requires a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly followed by ratification by the five permanent members, who are reluctant to share their privileges. The United States said in 2024 that it supported the creation of two permanent African seats, but without extending veto power to new members.

Another sensitive issue is the choice of countries. Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa harbor ambitions, but the African Union has not yet designated candidates, Al Jazeera recalls. The continent's unity on this point will be decisive in transforming a long-standing demand into a diplomatic victory.