Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, US, called for urgent reform, asserting that today’s world cannot be governed by a 1945 power structure.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu demanded two permanent UN Security Council seats with full veto power and five non-permanent seats for Africa, stressing that the continent should no longer be sidelined while carrying the heaviest burden of global conflicts.
Beyond governance reforms, he pressed for restructuring international finance to ease debt burdens on developing countries and demanded predictable climate funding to support Africa’s sustainable growth.
Tinubu further urged stronger international cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cyber attacks and illicit finance, saying military victories alone could not guarantee lasting peace without addressing poverty, exclusion, injustice and lack of economic opportunities.
Emphasizing diplomatic solutions over conflict, President Tinubu urged greater use of dialogue to resolve crises in Sudan and other war-torn nations, while warning against propaganda that masks responsibility for civilian attacks.
He reiterated that modernizing the UN, established in 1945 following World War II, must begin with reforming its Security Council.
He said: “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.”
Tinubu said: “Nigeria demands, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte 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.
“The authority to speak for humanity carries an obligation to represent it.”
According to the president, Nigeria was prepared to assume greater responsibility in international peace and security, citing the country’s contributions to peace operations and regional security initiatives.
“From Liberia and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, we have committed personnel and resources when international solidarity required action.”
He said Nigeria has continued to support mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and Gulf of Guinea partnerships.
The President linked Nigeria’s foreign policy to its domestic economic reforms, saying the country was pursuing sound macroeconomic management, stronger institutions, private-sector development and strategic public investment.
On climate change, Tinubu rejected what he described as a false choice between development and climate action.
“Developing countries must industrialise, eradicate poverty and expand energy access through low-carbon pathways supported by technology transfer, capacity building and climate finance,” he said.
Highlighting that Africa contributes under four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions despite bearing the brunt of climate change, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and a fair energy transition grounded in historical responsibility.
Under its Energy Transition Plan, Nigeria aims for net-zero emissions by 2060 by scaling up renewables, clean cooking, natural gas as a transition fuel, climate-smart agriculture, and nature-based solutions.
Tinubu, however, stressed that international climate finance must be driven by equity and mutual responsibility rather than treated as charity.
“Finance must be governed by equity and shared responsibility rather than charity, with international commitments translated into accessible, predictable and adequately funded mechanisms enabling developing countries to pursue climate action without compromising development objectives,” he said.
Tinubu also defended the responsible use of artificial intelligence, urging countries not to allow fear of the technology to prevent its potential benefits.
“We refuse to surrender our technological future to paranoia,” he said.
He compared AI to a knife, saying the same invention could cause harm or save lives depending on how it was used.
“We can deploy artificial intelligence to wage war or use it to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and economic productivity,” he said.
He said Nigeria was investing in digital public infrastructure, broadband connectivity, innovation ecosystems, research institutions and technology entrepreneurship.
The President invited international partners to work with Nigerian youths to harness AI for development rather than destruction.
On financing for development, Tinubu said inadequate funding remained one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development, particularly as developing countries devote substantial resources to servicing debts that could otherwise fund education, healthcare and infrastructure.
“Nigeria therefore calls for reform of the international financial architecture, wider access to concessional financing and debt sustainability frameworks that recognise developmental needs,” he said.
He also backed private capital, blended finance, South-South cooperation and strategic partnerships to fund sustainable development, climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure.
Tinubu described the African Continental Free Trade Area as one of Africa’s most transformative opportunities, saying it could strengthen regional value chains, increase intra-African trade, promote industrialisation and attract investment.
He urged African countries to move away from exporting raw materials towards greater value addition, manufacturing, technological innovation and knowledge-driven growth.
“Our abundant natural resources must become engines of shared prosperity rather than sources of perpetual dependency,” he said.
On security, the President said terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance exploited gaps between national responses.
He said Nigeria’s experience in fighting Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups had demonstrated that military action must be complemented by development and accountable governance.
“Military victories require enduring foundations in education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and communities whose rights and dignity are protected,” he said.
Tinubu called for greater intelligence sharing, stronger institutional capacity and measures to disrupt the financing of terrorism and prevent the movement of weapons across borders.
He said insecurity in the Sahel had demonstrated how instability in one country could affect neighbouring states through displacement, disruption of commerce and threats to democratic governance.
On global conflicts, the President said Nigeria remained committed to peaceful dispute resolution under the UN Charter.
He called for urgent diplomacy over the war in Sudan and other conflicts, insisting that parties must comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.
“Within and beyond our continent, no claim to security can justify starving children, denying relief to civilians or erasing communities from the land they call home,” he said.
Tinubu also criticised the use of propaganda to shield perpetrators from accountability.
“We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor,” he said.
“When our investment in propaganda shields perpetrators from justice to the point that telling the truth becomes a crime, the promise of this institution stands betrayed.”
He said Nigeria believed lasting peace required dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive political processes rather than military victories alone.
He urged the UN to strengthen peacekeeping while giving greater attention to peacebuilding, mediation, institution-building and sustainable development.
“Prevention must command greater resources and political attention,” he said.
The president said Africa’s youth population, natural resources, expanding markets and resilience could make the continent a major driver of global growth.
He said developing countries should be treated as indispensable partners in finding global solutions rather than primarily as recipients of assistance.
Tinubu assured that Nigeria would continue to support a UN that was inclusive and responsive to changing global realities.
“Institutions that adapt preserve their relevance; those that resist change imperil it. Whatever our differences, we must remember that humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child.”
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