Nigeria Demands Permanent Seat on UN Security Council

Badaru argued that Nigeria’s extensive contributions to global peacekeeping, along with its financial, logistical, and expert civilian support, justify its claim to a permanent seat on the Security Council.

New York, Sept 22, 2024 — Nigeria has formally called for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) after participating in 41 peacekeeping missions and deploying over 200,000 troops to various global operations.

This demand was made by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, during the “Enhancing Multilateralism for International Peace and Security” interactive dialogue at the Summit of the Future, part of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.

In his address, Badaru emphasized Nigeria’s longstanding commitment to international peace and security, noting that the country has contributed significantly to UN peacekeeping missions since 1960, beginning with its first deployment to Congo.

“Since our first deployment in the Congo in 1960, Nigeria has contributed to 41 peacekeeping missions globally,” Badaru said, underscoring the deployment of over 200,000 Nigerian troops. He also pointed out that Nigeria has been actively involved in regional peacekeeping efforts in countries like Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Sudan, and Sierra Leone.

Badaru argued that Nigeria’s extensive contributions to global peacekeeping, along with its financial, logistical, and expert civilian support, justify its claim to a permanent seat on the Security Council.

He called for reforms to ensure Africa has permanent representation on the UNSC, stating that such inclusivity would promote global peace and stability.

“It is on this basis that Nigeria continues to call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to give just representation to Africa on a permanent basis for inclusivity and deepening of global peace and security,” he said.

The Defence Minister also highlighted the need to build strong, professional African armies capable of combating terrorism. He called for the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF) and urged for increased resources and support for the ASF’s centre of excellence on counterterrorism in Africa.

“We recognize the need for Africa to build strong and professional armies, in order to, among other things, defeat terrorism,” Badaru added.

In conclusion, Badaru called for strengthened regional cooperation and urged the UN to take decisive steps to resolve global conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine, through peaceful means.