As the most populous country in Africa and a major economic powerhouse, Nigeria carries significant weight on the global stage. At the UN General Assembly, Vice President Kashim Shettima used that weight to deliver an uncompromising message: the current system of global governance is fundamentally unjust and entirely incomplete without African representation.
Shettima vigorously reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. He pointed out the total absurdity of making decisions about global security while ignoring a continent of 1.4 billion people. “A world order that excludes Africa from its highest decision-making body is a broken order,” he declared to the assembly.
He emphasized that Nigeria, along with the rest of the continent, has consistently contributed to global peace, deploying troops to UN missions and mediating regional conflicts. Yet, when it comes time to set global policies, African voices are pushed aside. “We are expected to follow the rules, but we are denied the right to help write them,” Shettima noted.
He argued that this exclusion strips the United Nations of its democratic legitimacy. For Nigeria and the African Union, securing a permanent seat is not just about prestige; it is about ensuring that the unique challenges and perspectives of the Global South are taken seriously. Vice President Shettima made it abundantly clear that until Africa is granted permanent representation, the United Nations cannot truly claim to represent the world.