President Bola Tinubu has called for an urgent reform of the United Nations, citing the organization’s failure to reflect the current global reality.
He also demanded debt relief and a permanent seat for Nigeria at the UN Security Council as part of a wider process of institutional reform.
Tinubu’s national message was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 80th Session of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York.
“The United Nations will recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was,” he said.
The Nigerian leader outlined four key points to strengthen global peace, development, and human rights.
“Nigeria must have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council,” he said, highlighting Nigeria’s growth from a colony of 20 million to a sovereign nation of over 236 million people, making it a stabilising force in regional security and global peacekeeping.
The President also called for urgent action to promote sovereign debt relief and access to trade and financing.
He proposed a new mechanism to manage sovereign debt, likening it to an “International Court of Justice for money”.
Tinubu emphasized that countries hosting minerals must benefit fairly from them through investment, local processing, and job creation.
“When we export raw materials, tension, inequality, and instability fester.”
Tinubu reiterated the importance of closing the digital divide, citing the UN Secretary-General’s emphasis that “A.I.” should stand for “Africa Included”.
He also highlighted the need for global cooperation and multilateralism, warning that failure to adapt to changing times would make the UN’s direction “predictable”.
The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to peace, development, unity, and human rights, emphasizing that “none of us is safe until all of us are safe”.
He also advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that “a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine”.
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