Africa’s Exclusion From UN Security Council Undermines Global Governance — Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council, saying Africa’s continued exclusion from permanent membership undermines the fairness and legitimacy of global governance.
Shettima made the call during a meeting with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to reforms that would make international institutions more representative, responsive and credible.
He commended UN Secretary-General António Guterres for advocating permanent African representation on the Security Council, describing the continent’s continued exclusion as an injustice that must be addressed.
“A continent cannot be summoned to bear the burdens of the international order and then denied an equal hand in directing it,” Shettima said.
The Vice President stressed that global decision-making must reflect contemporary geopolitical and demographic realities, adding that Nigeria would remain a dependable partner in efforts to strengthen international cooperation and uphold international law.
He also praised Guterres for defending human dignity amid growing global conflicts and geopolitical tensions.
According to Shettima, diplomacy must prioritise the human consequences of war, displacement and hunger rather than allowing political interests to overshadow the suffering of vulnerable populations.
“The mother searching for her child, the family driven from home and the hungry child awaiting food must never become abstractions in the language of states,” he stated.
Shettima further commended Amina Mohammed for her contributions to multilateral diplomacy and sustainable development, describing her service at the United Nations as a source of pride to Nigeria.
He assured her of Nigeria’s continued support for initiatives aimed at restoring trust among nations, promoting peace and addressing hunger, violence and exclusion.
“Nigeria will remain a willing ally in the work of restoring trust among nations and dignity to lives diminished by hunger, violence and exclusion. We owe our children a world in which conscience has authority and the law has meaning,” he said.
Responding, Mohammed expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian government for their continued support for the United Nations and her office.
She described the support she had received from the Tinubu administration as significant, saying she was honoured by the Vice President’s visit and the accompanying Nigerian delegation.
“I want to thank through you, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and you for embracing me wholeheartedly not just as the DSG but as a daughter of the soil,” she said.
The meeting was attended by Governors Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.
Others included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, and other senior government officials.
