The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has canvassed for Africa’s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council while advocating for Nigeria’s suitability to represent Africa on the global body.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, while quoting the Minister speaking during a panel discussion themed “Africa’s Momentum” at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, stated that Tuggar decried the exclusion of Africa in the UN Security Council, while noting that about 60 per cent of the resolutions of the Council pertain to issues that have to do with Africa.
“Yet, Africa has no permanent seat in the UN Security Council. He also noted that many of the laws promulgated by the Council have adverse implications for Africa, including the Deforestation Law, which bans the purchase of produce from deforested land in Africa while ignoring the technological companies that produce the machinery that enables deforestation on the continent.”
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s global outlook under President Bola Tinubu’s administration is premised on the accentuation of Nigeria’s strategic autonomy and nonalignment principle in its relations with the rest of the world.
The discussion, which featured other African leaders including the Foreign Ministers of Tunisia, Mohammed Ali Nafti; the Democratic Republic of Congo, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner; and the Ugandan Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija, was moderated by the Director of Chatham House, Bronwen Maddox.
The conversation also highlighted the role of Africa in global governance and the implications of the first 2025 G20 Summit scheduled to be held in South Africa.
Minister Tuggar postulated, “The G20 summit in South Africa presents an opportunity for us to make a strong case, in the case of Nigeria becoming a G20 member and of course, South Africa is a brotherly neighbour, we have strong ties.”
He also highlighted Nigeria’s significant role in not only supporting South Africa’s liberation from apartheid but also in providing asylum to Thabo Mbeki during the years of South Africa’s struggle for liberation.
Enumerating Nigeria’s strengths and qualifications and why it should lead Africa on the global stage, the Minister opined, “It is important for a country like Nigeria to be a member of the G20 because we are used to making a case for Africa, we have got a lot of goodwill; we have got soft power.”
He equally noted the historical contribution of Nigeria to the struggles for Africa’s liberation and the fight against racist regimes on the continent.
Tuggar also disclosed that as part of its soft powers, Nigeria through its Technical Aid Corps, sends volunteer professionals including medical doctors, engineers, and university lecturers, to other African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries to support their development. He further stated that Nigeria is a non-threatening power that is friendly with its neighbours and does not have land or boundary disputes. When such issues come up, they are resolved in most cases with Nigeria conceding to its neighbours.
He enthused that Nigeria’s non-threatening nature has earned the trust of its neighbours who support Nigeria to represent them globally. Minister Tuggar added that Nigeria is the only African country with a permanent seat in the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
Furthermore, Minister Tuggar said that it is important for Nigeria to be at the table because the G20 was created to review global economic and financial issues such as the utilisation of Special Drawing Rights to fund the energy transition in Africa.
He called for a return to the promises made by developed nations to developing countries during the Rio Summit with regards to the transfer of technology, which he said has gone quiet and Nigeria using its big strong voice can bring to the fore as a member of the G20.
Responding to what Nigeria would do with the G20 seat, Tuggar submitted that Nigeria would advocate for the reconsideration of the Special Drawing Rights, and push for the consolidation of the global tax reforms which he said was championed by African countries at the United Nations with Nigeria leading the charge, to make the tax system fairer for Global South countries.
On Nigeria’s expectation from South Africa at the G20 summit, the Minister opined that South Africa can make a strong case for fairness, for the process to be more representative, and to become more democratic.
He faulted the argument that because Africa is already represented by the African Union and South Africa, therefore should not demand more representation, citing South America whose representation does not attract the same reaction as Africa.
He emphasised that Africa should not be viewed as a single country but as a continent with 54 countries, noting Nigeria’s over 220 million population with a potential to rise to 400 million by the year 2050 and become the third largest population in the world.
Minister Tuggar said that Nigeria deserves to be represented given its track record, the size of its economy, and many other factors. He submitted that he expects South Africa to support Nigeria’s case and added that Nigeria is already being invited as an observer.
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