Nigeria has intensified its diplomatic campaign for Africa to secure permanent, veto-wielding seats on the United Nations Security Council, stressing that reform of global governance is long overdue.
President Bola Tinubu made the appeal on Monday in Luanda, Angola, during the first plenary session on Peace, Security, Governance and Multilateralism at the 7th African Union–European Union Summit. He was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
President Tinubu urged the European Union to work with Africa in developing peace and security solutions anchored in African-led frameworks, describing such cooperation as vital to sustainable stability.
“It is time for Africa to occupy permanent seats on the UN Security Council, with all related privileges, including the veto,” he said. “Genuine text-based negotiations under the Inter-governmental Negotiations (IGN) framework must now begin. We hope EU Member States will support Africa’s long-standing and legitimate demand for reform.”
The President highlighted Nigeria’s recent security progress, including the surrender of more than 120,000 Boko Haram-affiliated individuals, attributing the development to a blend of kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
He commended the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin as a model of African-driven security cooperation and cited the recent Sea-Lift Agreement between the Nigerian Navy and the African Union Standby Force as further evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening regional peacekeeping.
Warning that unresolved instability continues to fuel terrorism, insurgency, banditry and transnational organised crime, President Tinubu called for deeper AU–EU collaboration in preventive diplomacy, inclusive governance and long-term investment in people and infrastructure.
On irregular migration, he maintained that the issue must be handled through a balanced, development-focused approach.
“Criminalising mobility has only worsened insecurity across the continent and beyond,” he said.
The President proposed structured labour-mobility channels—including Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and expanded Business Process Outsourcing pathways—to enable Africa’s youthful workforce to support Europe’s labour needs without resorting to dangerous migration routes.
“Seasonal mobility has underpinned West African civilisation for centuries,” he noted. “Our shared responsibility is to transform mobility into safe, orderly and productive pathways.”
President Tinubu condemned the resurgence of Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, arguing that such disruptions undermine the African Union’s democratic foundations. He linked the rise in coups to internal fragilities and “exogenous pressures that distort political balances.”
He noted that Nigeria and neighbouring countries have established the Regional Partnership for Democracy to strengthen constitutional order, counter extremist narratives, combat disinformation and support governance reforms across West Africa.
He also voiced concern over ongoing conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan, urging stronger international accountability for external actors contributing to the violence.
Reaffirming that peace and security interventions in Africa must be African-led and executed through legitimate regional mechanisms, President Tinubu said Nigeria remains committed to promoting peace, security and democratic governance across the continent. He pledged stronger cooperation with the EU to build a more stable and prosperous world.
He thanked Angola for hosting the summit and expressed appreciation to the EU for its longstanding support to Africa, particularly in peace and security initiatives.
