Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticised the continued exclusion of Africa from permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, saying it undermines the fairness and legitimacy of the global governance system.
Shettima made the remarks during a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, on September 26.
The Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for urgent reform of the United Nations, saying the country would remain a dependable partner in efforts to rebuild trust among nations, defend international law and address hunger, violence and exclusion.
He also commended UN Secretary-General António Guterres for his support for a more representative Security Council, particularly his position that a 21st-century Council without permanent African representation is “unjust and indefensible”.
“A continent cannot be summoned to bear the burdens of the international order and then denied an equal hand in directing it,” Shettima said.
The Vice President said Nigeria would continue to support reforms aimed at making international institutions more representative, responsive and credible.
He added that global decisions must better reflect current geopolitical and demographic realities.
Shettima also praised Guterres for defending international law and human dignity as conflicts and geopolitical tensions continue in different parts of the world.
“You have remained a voice of reason as individual states drift from the obligations they assumed under the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law. You have insisted that sovereignty carries duties, that might confers no licence to injure, and that the worth of a human life cannot vary with the flag above it,” he said.
The Vice President said diplomacy must remain focused on the human consequences of war and instability.
“The mother searching for her child, the family driven from home and the hungry child awaiting food must never become abstractions in the language of states,” he added.
Shettima also commended Amina Mohammed for her contributions to multilateral diplomacy and sustainable development, describing her service as a source of pride to Nigeria.
“Nigeria will remain a willing ally in the work of restoring trust among nations and dignity to lives diminished by hunger, violence and exclusion. We owe our children a world in which conscience has authority and the law has meaning,” he said.
He further said the credibility of the international system would ultimately depend on its ability to respond fairly to human suffering and give all regions a meaningful voice in global decision-making.
“Civilisation endures only when the suffering of a stranger becomes a claim on our conscience,” Shettima said.
Earlier, Amina Mohammed expressed gratitude to Nigeria and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their support for the United Nations and her office as Deputy Secretary-General.
She said: “It’s deep honour to have your esteemed delegation here and to come and surprise me. I am truly honoured and grateful.
“I want to thank through you, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and you for embracing me wholeheartedly not just as the DSG but as a daughter of the soil. He has been an incredible support to me, and he has also supported this institution.”
Shettima was accompanied on the visit by Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, were also part of the delegation, alongside other senior government officials.
The statement was signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, and dated September 26, 2026.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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