President Bola Tinubu yesterday insisted on reforms in the United Nations Security Council to grant Africa two permanent seats with full veto powers He made the demand during the 9th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, according to a statement by the Presidency.
Tinubu said: “It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand. “Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the Permanent Category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the Right of Veto.
“Africa also deserves additional seats in the non–permanent seat category of the Security Council, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.” He sought Japan’s support for reforms in the United Nations’ organs, especially the United Nations Security Council, to give African countries a greater voice.
Tinubu praised the Nigerian armed forces for their success in fighting insurgency and criminality. The President said: “Nigeria’s brave armed forces can win any number of battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we, as government, are courageous in tackling not just terror, but also the underlying causes.”
Tinubu emphasised the importance of peace and stability for Africa’s development, citing recent peace agreements in the Congo as evidence that linking mediation with economic considerations can yield results.
He urged a shift from dependency on aid to market-driven partnerships, highlighting Nigeria’s investments in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and collaboration with civil society and international partners to raise living standards.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to collaborate with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to ensure the disbursement of a maximum of $5.5 billion to Africa utilising Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) private sector investment finance as a catalyst.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has said the focus on Nigeria’s “empty” booth at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Japan is a misrepresentation of the country’s mission at the summit.
As the meeting kicked off yesterday, booths representing various countries welcomed investors and visitors. But Nigeria’s stand stood conspicuously empty, leaving some delegates to take up the task of manning it. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the concerns, noting that the booth was scheduled to be “inaugurated” today.
In a lengthy statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said the narrative of an “empty” booth did not tell the complete story of Nigeria’s activities at TICAD and dismissed it as “sensational”. Onanuga said the Nigerian delegation was “laser-focused on its core objectives of achieving tangible outcomes” from the multiple engagements lined up.
