• Lists population, economy, peacekeeping record strengths

Presidency has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s message at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has positioned Nigeria as Africa’s foremost advocate for global reform, making a compelling case for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, stated that Tinubu’s address, delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima, resonated strongly with world leaders and reinforced Nigeria’s status as a nation of both influence and responsibility.

“President Tinubu did not require any show of righteous indignation to pass Nigeria’s message. He appealed subtly but firmly to the international community, warning that unless the United Nations embraces sweeping restructuring, it risks sliding into irrelevance,” Nkwocha said.

The President argued that Nigeria’s vast population, robust economy, and decades of peacekeeping service gave it both the political weight and moral justification for Africa’s permanent representation on the Security Council, with Nigeria as the natural candidate.

Nkwocha hailed Shettima’s delivery as evidence of Tinubu’s deliberate leadership choices: “The Vice President’s brilliance in marshalling and delivering the President’s vision shows not only his loyalty but also his deep understanding of Tinubu’s foreign policy thrust. Nigeria’s voice was clear and strong at UNGA 80.”

On global conflicts, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, describing it as “the most dignified path to peace,” while condemning humanitarian tragedies in Gaza and other war zones as “stains on our collective humanity.”

Turning to Nigeria’s domestic realities, the President told the Assembly that the country was confronting terrorism and violent extremism not only with force but also with values and ideas.

On the economy, Tinubu acknowledged the current hardships but insisted that reforms dismantling distortions and subsidies were necessary to unlock Nigeria’s full potential. He advocated the creation of a binding global debt mechanism, an “International Court of Justice for money”, and demanded a fairer trade framework for Africa’s mineral resources that prioritises processing, investment, and jobs for host nations.

Tinubu also called for global collaboration to close the digital divide, urging governments, researchers, and the private sector to ensure that developing countries were not left behind in the digital economy.

Nkwocha added that Tinubu’s UNGA 80 message went far beyond Nigeria’s demand, saying: “It was a global awakening for reform, compassion, and collective security.”