New York/
“The chaos that shadows our world is a reminder that we cannot afford the luxury of inaction. We would have been consumed by our differences had there been no community such as this to remind us that we are one human family,” Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima declared at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as he delivered President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national statement.
Representing President Tinubu, Shettima outlined Nigeria’s bold vision for reforming global governance under the session’s theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights.” He emphasized Nigeria’s faith in multilateralism, while insisting that real change was long overdue in the UN system.
The Vice-President presented a four-pillar agenda that Nigeria believes is critical to restoring credibility to multilateralism:
- Permanent Security Council Membership for Nigeria – Citing Nigeria’s population of over 236 million, its regional security leadership, and record of participation in 51 UN peacekeeping missions, Shettima said the time had come for Africa’s most populous nation to secure a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
- Debt Relief and Fair Trade Access – He called for urgent sovereign debt reforms, proposing a binding international mechanism to manage debt, which would free developing nations from economic “straitjackets.”
- Fair Benefit from Minerals – Nigeria urged that countries rich in strategic minerals must benefit directly from them, citing lessons from the Niger Delta and the potential for African minerals to power future technologies.
- Closing the Digital Divide – Shettima pressed for a global initiative to ensure Africa’s inclusion in the digital revolution, warning that “A.I. must stand for Africa Included.”
Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to peace and security, highlighting its fight against terrorism and violent extremism. He said that “values and ideas deliver the ultimate victory” against terrorism, not just military might.
On global conflicts, he condemned violence in Gaza and other hotspots, insisting that “a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine.”
Nigeria also tied climate action to security and prosperity. Shettima urged better use of climate funds for education, technology, and housing to build resilient communities. He further highlighted Nigeria’s economic reforms, including subsidy removal and currency liberalization, as hard but necessary steps to drive growth.
Shettima closed with a rallying call for renewed multilateralism: “For none of us is safe until all of us are safe. Nigeria dedicates itself fully and without reservation to that noble cause.”
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