Nigeria Renews Call for Two Permanent African Seats on UN Security Council

Nigeria has renewed its call for two permanent seats to be allocated to African nations on the United Nations Security Council, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Security Council currently has 15 members, five of which hold permanent seats with veto power: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. Africa, despite comprising 54 UN member states, has no permanent representative among them.

Nigerian officials argue this arrangement leaves the continent under-represented on a body responsible for decisions affecting international peace and security, including on conflicts and crises within Africa itself.

Calls for Security Council reform, including expanded permanent representation for Africa, have circulated at the UN for years without resulting in a formal amendment to the council's structure. Any change would require approval from two-thirds of the UN General Assembly, along with ratification by all five existing permanent members.

Nigeria's renewed push adds to a broader African position, often articulated through the African Union's Ezulwini Consensus, which has called for two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats for African states.