Abuja’s Renewed Campaign comes amid Wider African Demand for Permanent Representation and Growing Competition among Major African Powers.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform | September 24, 2026.
Nigeria’s renewed campaign for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council is gaining fresh attention as the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) continues in New York, with the country facing the broader challenge of securing consensus within Africa over who should occupy the continent’s proposed permanent seats.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to present Nigeria’s national statement at the ongoing UNGA on Thursday, with reform of international institutions, global peace and security and a more equitable international economic order among the issues expected to feature prominently. Nigeria has identified permanent representation on the Security Council as one of its key diplomatic priorities.
The African Union’s common position on Security Council reform calls for at least two permanent seats for Africa, with the same privileges as existing permanent members, including veto rights if the veto is retained, as well as five additional non-permanent seats. The AU has maintained that Africa’s permanent exclusion from the Council does not reflect the continent’s demographic, political and economic significance.
For Nigeria, the diplomatic discussion is not only about convincing the wider international community to support African representation but also about building sufficient support among African countries. Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt have each demonstrated significant diplomatic engagement with the issue, although the African Union has not designated any individual country as the continent’s representative.
Nigeria brings a record of participation in the Security Council and extensive involvement in international and regional peacekeeping. Its advocates also point to the country’s population, economic weight and longstanding role in African diplomacy as factors supporting its case. At the same time, South Africa and Egypt have their own diplomatic credentials and continue to participate actively in discussions on reform of global institutions.
The issue has received additional international attention during the current UNGA. Foreign ministers of the G4 countries — Brazil, Germany, India and Japan — have expressed support for enhanced African representation on the Security Council, including permanent membership. The group also called for expansion of the Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has likewise renewed his call for Security Council reform, describing Africa’s continued absence from permanent membership as a major gap in the Council’s structure. The UN has continued intergovernmental negotiations on expanding membership and improving equitable representation.
The question of veto power remains one of the most important issues in the reform debate. Under the African position, any new permanent African members should have the same prerogatives as existing permanent members, including the veto for as long as the veto remains part of the Council’s structure. However, countries remain divided over the future scope and application of veto powers.
As Nigeria intensifies its diplomatic engagement at UNGA81, the country’s campaign is therefore unfolding within two interconnected discussions: the broader push for Africa to gain permanent representation at the Security Council and the question of how the continent would select the countries to occupy any new permanent seats.
The outcome of the ongoing reform negotiations will depend on sustained diplomatic engagement among UN member states, including discussions within Africa and negotiations involving the existing permanent members of the Security Council.
Enugu Media Village (EMV) continues to monitor Nigeria’s participation at UNGA81 and developments surrounding the campaign for a more representative global governance system.
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