Tinubu Will Secure Nigeria Permanent UN Security Council Seat – Jimoh Ibrahim

By Opeyemi Adelakun

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure a permanent seat for Nigeria on the UN Security Council as efforts to reform the global body gather momentum.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Ibrahim said the President considers Africa’s exclusion from the council’s permanent membership a major concern and has consistently pushed for reforms that would give the continent, particularly Nigeria, a stronger voice in global decision-making.

The UN Security Council currently comprises five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—each possessing veto powers, alongside 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

Nigeria last served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council between 2014 and 2015, marking its fifth tenure on the body.

For decades, Africa’s most populous nation has advocated permanent representation on the council, citing its population, economic influence and longstanding contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

According to Ibrahim, Tinubu has repeatedly questioned why no African country occupies a permanent seat on the Security Council.

“His major argument is why the United Nations has not admitted any African country into the permanent seat of the Security Council. This worries him a lot,” Ibrahim said.

He added that the President’s speeches at international forums have consistently reflected his dissatisfaction with Africa’s exclusion from the council’s permanent membership.

The ambassador noted that the Security Council’s structure was established about 80 years ago, long before many African nations, including Nigeria, gained independence, making reforms difficult to achieve.

Despite the challenges, Ibrahim said ongoing international negotiations on UN reforms offer hope.

“The good news is I can assure you that President Tinubu will secure a Security Council seat very soon,” he said.

He also disclosed that Tinubu had discussed the issue with Ghanaian President John Mahama, who successfully championed efforts that led to the United Nations recognising the transatlantic slave trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.

Ibrahim maintained that Nigeria would continue to pursue diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening Africa’s case for permanent representation on the Security Council.