Vice President Kashim Shettima addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged sweeping reforms at the United Nations, insisting that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the Security Council as part of efforts to strengthen global peace, development, and human rights.
Speaking during the general debate at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Shettima argued that the UN must reflect today’s realities, not the world of 1945.
“The United Nations will recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was,” he said. “When the UN was founded, we were a colony of 20 million people. Today, we are a sovereign nation of over 236 million, projected to be the third most populous country in the world. Our case for a permanent seat at the Security Council is a demand for fairness, representation, and reform.”
He threw Nigeria’s weight behind the UN80 Initiative of Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as the reform resolution adopted on 18 July 2025, describing it as “a bold step to restore credibility” to the institution.
Shettima also called for urgent action on sovereign debt relief, wider access to global trade and financing, and fairer returns for countries that host natural resources. On technology, he stressed the need to close the digital divide, declaring that “A.I must stand for Africa Included.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s contributions to peacekeeping, Shettima noted that the country has participated in 51 out of 60 UN peacekeeping operations since independence.
“Sovereignty is a covenant of shared responsibility,” he added. “Nigeria’s soldiers and civilians have carried a proud legacy of stabilising the region, and through the Multinational Joint Task Force, we continue that commitment today.”
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