Nigeria restates demand for two permanent UNSC seats, veto powers for Africa

Nigeria has restated its demand for two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for Africa, along with veto powers. According to Vice President Kashim Shettima, the current configuration of the Council no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities and undermines the legitimacy of global decision-making.

President Bola Tinubu has called for a fundamental restructuring of the UNSC, seeking at least two permanent seats for Africa with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including veto powers. He also wants five non-permanent seats for the continent. Tinubu's statement was delivered by Shettima at the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The push for UNSC reform has gained momentum, with the G4 grouping of India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan, as well as the Visegrad Group, voicing their support for changes to the Council's structure. They describe the existing structure as "anachronistic" and say reform is necessary amid an increasingly challenging global environment.

Brief written by urgent.news from Premium Times, Live Mint, This Day — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.