The minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has said that it is time for Nigeria to be a member of the United Nations Security Council.
Tuggar, who appeared live on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, argued that the country is due to participate in international decision-making.
“It’s time to reform; it’s time for Nigeria to be in there – the security council,” the minister said.
“In terms of democracy, we are also looking to democratise the global system; we are agitating for that. Nigeria needs to be on the big table where decisions are taken about the global economy and the entire planet. That is why it’s important for us to be participating in the G20,” he said.
The United Nations Security Council, a division of the UN, has the primary responsibility of preserving world peace and security.
It is made up of ten elected members and five permanent members: China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.
However, the minister demanded that the UN undergo reform, describing the permanent membership of the council as “an old thing.”
“Of course, we are calling for a reform of the United Nations because the Security Council has five permanent members. This is anachronistic – an old thing that came about at the end of the Second World War,” he said.
When quizzed on the criteria the security council would use to decide if Nigeria should be admitted, the minister responded that Nigeria’s population size and role in the liberation of other African nations give it an advantage.
“We are the largest country in Africa, and 50 per cent of Africans are Nigerians. We are projected to become the third-largest country in the world by the year 2050.
“We are the largest economy; we’ve always been a leader. We stood up and championed the liberation of African countries from racist regimes,” he said.
“It’s going to be India, China, then Nigeria.”
Over the past few weeks, President Bola Tinubu has taken part in a number of significant international gatherings, including the G20 Summit in India and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).