United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has asked Nigeria to spearhead Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions despite facing its own security challenges.
The UN Chief made the remarks on Friday during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Speaking during the talks, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism place it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.
“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” Guterres was quoted to have said in a statement by Shettima’s media aide, Stanley Nkwocha.
He said the UN Secretary-General and the Vice President discussed key developments in Nigeria, as well as the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.
Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration in advancing global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Vice President Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in promoting global peace, saying Africa has benefitted immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.
“We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” VP Shettima said.
The Vice President also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.
He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across the African continent.
Shettima Charges Africa on Homegrown Solutions
Meanwhile, Nigeria has called for a continental shift towards health security sovereignty in Africa aimed at moving the continent from reliance on foreign aids to self-sufficient, homegrown health systems.
Shettima said this become a matter of necessity to ensure the health of Africans is not subjected to the uncertainties of distant supply chains or the shifting priorities of global panic.
He said this at a high-level side event on “Building Africa’s Health Security Sovereignty,” on the margins of the ongoing 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Initiative is a collaboration between the Nigerian government and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, to mobilise investment in the health workforce, community health, and sustainable immunization programmes.
Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at this year’s AU Summit, reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to partner with other African nations to build a continent that is capable of healing itself.
