Nigeria: Stewarding the Hope of a Continent

Nigeria can deploy its rich reservoir of soft power to advance Africa’s quest for a more equitable and representative United Nations, but it must first put its own house in order. Vincent Obia writes.

Vice President Kashim Shettima cut a commanding figure inside the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 24 during the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA). He stood at the centre of international attention as he delivered a message that carried the aspirations—and hope—of a continent.

Shettima made the case for Africa to have permanent representation on the UN Security Council, including veto power for its permanent members for as long as the veto itself remains part of the council’s decision-making structure.

There are currently five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (Russia, United States, China, United Kingdom, and France), and 10 non-permanent members elected on a two-yearly basis.

Representing President Bola Tinubu, the vice president called for a comprehensive reform of the UN.

He stated, “The reform of this institution must begin with the reconstitution of the Security Council, for the world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945.

“Africa cannot continue to fill the council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership.”

Shettima then declared, “Nigeria demands, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the CFTA Declaration, at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including the veto, for as long as it exists, and five non-permanent seats in total.”

It was the third consecutive time that the vice president had carried the African message to the world, having made a similar case at the 79th and 80th UNGA sessions.

The message enjoyed considerable support, but it was hardly warmly received by the powers that be within the UN system.

Other African leaders supported the quest as they addressed the theme of the 81st session of the General Assembly, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”

Kenyan President William Ruto told the world leaders, “The crisis of multilateralism is not a crisis of cooperation, it is a crisis of rules and institutions that have not kept pace with the world they are expected to govern.”

Ruto condemned a situation where international law served as “a shield for some and a restraint for others”.

He stated, “Principles can be permanent, while institutions should evolve.

“Africa cannot remain the only continent without permanent representation in the institution entrusted with international peace and security.”

Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske Selassie asked, “How can a world led with a right conscience justify the denial of 1.6 billion Africans the right to equal representation?”

Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boaki said the historical injustice could not continue.

Boaki said changing “the imbalance is not a favour for Africa,” but, “It is necessary to restore United Nations trust, credibility, and legitimacy.”

Ghana’s President John Mahama spoke in a similar vein. “Security Council reform is not a favour to Africa; it is an imperative for the legitimacy, credibility and survival of the United Nations,” Mahama said.

Other African leaders, including President Duma Boko of Botswana, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia equally called for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council.

They were supported by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who tended to put it more bluntly, “A 21st century Security Council without permanent African seats is unjust and indefensible. These must change.”

The calls for Africa’s permanent representation on the UN Security Council are made more urgent by conflicts in the continent and geopolitical tensions that have continued to attract disproportionately high global attention.

A February 2026 report by Oxfam said about 80 per cent of UN Security Council resolutions over the past decade focused on African situations.

Oxfam in Africa Director, Fati N’zi-Hassane, said, “Many of the world’s most deadly and protracted conflicts are taking place in Africa, yet the continent continues to be denied a permanent seat at the table, underscoring a long-standing imbalance in global decision-making on peace and security.

“Without the right voices being heard, resolutions are being passed that are not implementable and are out of touch with what people need or want.” 

The United States had in 2024 hinted support for Africa’s UN reform quest. But that was under President Joe Biden.

The reform pursued by Nigeria and the rest of Africa is, admittedly, a difficult demand to make at a time when global powers appear increasingly preoccupied with expanding and deploying hard power.

Yet Africa’s quest for a greater voice in global decision-making cannot be abandoned simply because the geopolitical environment is difficult.

Nigeria can leverage its enormous reservoir of soft power—its diplomatic influence, cultural reach, historical standing, and relationships across the continent—to rally African hearts and minds behind the push for UN reform.

The objective is clear: to move Africa from the position of a largely helpless spectator in international decision-making to that of a meaningful participant with a powerful seat at the table.

Among the leading African countries, including South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, Nigeria stands out, given its enormous resource and population base.

Nigeria has a booming creative economy, anchored on Nollywood and Afrobeats, alongside a vibrant literal, diaspora, and diplomatic peacekeeping footprint. 

The country has a long history of sending troops to stop wars. It has spent money and lost soldiers to keep peace in places like Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Mali.

Nollywood and Afrobeats have acted as a unifying force shaping the African narrative, with Nigerian writers framing the intellectual and moral perception of the continent.  

But Nigeria also needs to fix its own internal challenges.

Professor of Communications at the Baze University, Abuja, Abiodun Adeniyi, tells Arise TV that fundamental rethinking of the UN system, designed when much of Africa was under colonial rule, is necessary.

Adeniyi agrees that Nigeria’s UN pursuit must be complemented by strong domestic fundamentals in the political, economic, and social spheres. 

It is common knowledge that all politics is local.

That maxim, popularised by former Speaker of United States House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill, also holds true in international politics. A country’s global influence depends heavily on its domestic strength.

There is no denying that Nigeria’s internal political and economic challenges remain a constraint on its ability to convincingly lead a continental campaign for a more equitable global order.

To effectively communicate Africa’s message to the world, Nigeria must demonstrate at home the stability, institutional strength, and economic capacity that can give its diplomacy greater credibility and weight abroad.

“A nation’s global reputation is defined largely by domestic policies, domestic stability, and sustainability,” Adeniyi says.

He adds, “We need to strengthen our own internal configuration. Our economy has to be better, how we strive to meet the aspirations of the people must be enhanced, and issues like insecurity have to be addressed so the world can see us in a better light.”

Nigeria’s ability to lead the African UN-reform campaign is tied to how effectively it addresses its own domestic challenges.

In carrying the hope of the continent, Nigeria must go beyond acting as the continent’s diplomatic voice; it must actively project its soft power, and build the internal strength to shoulder such responsibility.