Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, has argued that Nigeria should be the continent’s representative on the UN Security Council and has urged for Africa to have a permanent seat in the organization.
According to a statement from Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Tuggar participated in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Sweden, on the topic of “Africa’s Momentum.”
The Security Council, which is probably the highest decision-making body in the UN, does not have a permanent seat for Africa.
Tuggar expressed his disapproval of Africa’s exclusion from the UN Security Council, pointing out that over 60% of the Council’s resolutions focus on African-related topics.
He added that a number of the Council’s laws have negative effects on Africa, such as the Deforestation Law, which forbids buying produce grown on deforested land in the continent while ignoring the tech firms that make the equipment that makes deforestation possible.
The minister also revealed that the foundation of Nigeria’s international perspective under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership is the country’s strategic autonomy and nonalignment concept in its interactions with the outside world.
The panel discussion, which featured other African leaders including the Foreign Ministers of Tunisia, Mohammed Ali Nafti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, and the Ugandan Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija, was moderated by the Director of Chatham House, Bronwen Maddox.
The conversation also highlighted the role of Africa in global governance and the implications of the first 2025 G20 Summit scheduled to be held in South Africa.
Tuggar equally made a case for Nigeria becoming a member of the G20.
“The G20 summit in South Africa presents an opportunity for us to make a strong case, in the case of Nigeria becoming a G20 member and of course, South Africa is a brotherly neighbour, we have strong ties,” Tuggar observed.
Highlighting Nigeria’s significant role in not only supporting South Africa’s liberation from Apartheid but also in providing asylum to Thabo Mabaki during the years of South Africa’s struggle for liberation, Tuggar said Nigeria is the country that should represent Africa in the UN Security Council.
Enumerating Nigeria’s strengths and qualifications, and why the country should lead Africa on the global stage, the minister said, “It is important for a country like Nigeria to be a member of the G20 because we are used to making a case for Africa, we have got a lot of goodwill, we have got soft power.”
The minister highlighted the historical contribution of Nigeria to the struggles for Africa’s liberation and fight against racist regimes in the continent.
Tuggar also disclosed that as part of its soft powers, Nigeria through its Technical Aid Corp sends volunteer professionals including medical doctors, engineers, and university lecturers to other African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries to support their development.
Tuggar further stated that Nigeria is a non-threatening power that is friendly with its neighbours and does not have land or boundary disputes, and when such issues come up, they are resolved in most cases with Nigeria conceding to its neighbours. “Nigeria’s nonthreatening nature has earned the trust of its neighbours who support Nigeria to represent them globally,” he observed.
Speaking further, the minister stressed that Nigeria is the only African country with a permanent seat in the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
Furthermore, Tuggar said it is important for Nigeria to be at the table because the G20 was created to review global economic and financial issues such as the utilization of Special Drawing Rights to fund the energy transition in Africa. He called for a return to the promises made by developed nations to developing countries during the Rio Summit with regards to the transfer of technology, which he said has gone quiet and Nigeria using its big strong voice can bring it to the fore as a member of the G20.
Responding to what Nigeria would do with the G20 seat, Tuggar submitted that Nigeria would advocate for the reconsideration of the Special Drawing Rights, and push for the consolidation of the global tax reforms which he said was championed by African countries at the United Nations with Nigeria leading the charge, to make the tax system fairer for the Global South countries.
On Nigeria’s expectation from South Africa at the G20 summit, the minister opined that South Africa can make a strong case for fairness, for the process to be more representative, and to become more democratic. He faulted the argument that because Africa is already represented by the African Union and South Africa, the continent should not demand for more representation, citing South America which representation does not attract the same reaction as Africa.
He emphasized that Africa should not be viewed as a single country but as a continent with 54 countries, noting Nigeria’s over 220 million population with a potential to rise to 400 million by year 2050 and the third largest population in the world.
Tuggar said that Nigeria deserves to be represented, given its track record, the size of its economy, and many other factors. He submitted that he expects South Africa to support Nigeria’s case and added that Nigeria is already being invited as an observer.
