Nigeria has renewed its push for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), insisting that Africa must secure permanent seats with full veto powers in the global governance system.

President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the demand yesterday at the first plenary on Peace, Security, Governance and Multilateralism during the 7th African Union/European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.

He tasked the EU with co-creating peace and security initiatives anchored on African-led frameworks, saying sustainable stability on the continent requires genuine partnership rooted in regional ownership.

The President noted that Africa continues to grapple with an array of complex threats, from armed conflict and illicit arms flows to climate pressures, irregular migration, and political instability, all of which now demand stronger cooperation with global partners.

“It is time for Africa to occupy permanent seats on the UNSC, with all attendant privileges, including the veto.

Genuine text-based negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework must now commence. We hope EU member states will support Africa’s long-standing and legitimate call for UN reform,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s security experience, Tinubu recalled that regional instability often fuels terrorism, insurgency, banditry and transnational organised crime.

He said Nigeria’s combination of kinetic and non-kinetic responses, including the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin, remains a strong model of African-led cooperative security. ­­

“As of early 2025, over 120,000 Boko Haram-affiliated individuals, including family members, have surrendered,” he disclosed, adding that the recent Sea-Lift Agreement between the Nigerian Navy and the AU Standby Force (ASF) further reinforces Africa’s rapid deployment capacity for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.

Tinubu acknowledged the EU’s longstanding support to the African Peace and Security Architecture since 2002, but stressed that peace interventions on the continent must reflect African priorities.

External solutions, he warned, cannot succeed without strong regional ownership and understanding of local contexts.

The President also urged Europe to address irregular migration through frameworks that recognise its deep economic and demographic roots.

Criminalising mobility, he cautioned, has worsened insecurity. Instead, he proposed structured labour pathways, such as Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) opportunities, which can help channel Africa’s youthful talent into Europe’s labour market.