President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again pressed the international community to grant Africa permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), insisting that the continent deserves two permanent seats with full veto powers.
Speaking on Wednesday at the plenary session on Peace and Stability during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, Tinubu described Africa’s demand for fair representation as both just and equitable.
> “It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand. Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the Permanent Category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the Right of Veto. Africa also deserves additional seats in the non–permanent seat category of the Security Council, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration,” the President said in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The Nigerian leader also commended the achievements of the country’s armed forces in the ongoing fight against insurgency and criminality. However, he emphasized that true security requires addressing the root causes of instability.
> “Nigeria’s brave armed forces can win any number of battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we, as government, are courageous in tackling not just terror, but also the underlying causes,” Tinubu stated.
Highlighting the centrality of peace and stability to Africa’s development, the President referenced recent peace agreements in Congo as examples of how linking mediation efforts with economic incentives can yield meaningful results.
> “In the past, competition for resources has weakened states and triggered conflict. Now, we see mediators directly linking outcomes to investment in Congo. It is working and underlines the need for fresh thinking in everything we do to deliver peace and stability,” he added.
Tinubu further stressed the importance of moving Africa away from aid dependency toward market-driven partnerships. He pointed to Nigeria’s ongoing investments in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and partnerships with civil society and international organizations as steps toward raising living standards across the continent.
At the opening of the conference, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba underscored the value of cooperation rooted in local solutions and mutual understanding. He announced a new $5.5 billion partnership framework between Japan and the African Development Bank (AfDB), targeted at private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration.
> “Japan is providing various cooperation and support for Africa. But first of all, Japan needs to know more about Africa. So, in creating solutions together, this co-creation at TICAD9 focuses on three important areas: private sector-led sustainable growth, Youth and Women, and Regional integration and connectivity within and beyond Africa,” Ishiba explained.
The Japanese Prime Minister also emphasized Africa’s demographic advantage, pointing out the need for robust industrialization and job creation to harness the energy and potential of the continent’s growing youth population.
> “There is another potential in Africa; there is so much growing young population in Africa, but for the power of young people in Africa to flourish, you need to create a manufacturing industry and create employment, and that, I believe, is very important,” Ishiba noted.
