Vice President Kashim Shettima has outlined steps to strengthen peace, development, and human rights globally.
Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he emphasized the need for Nigeria to have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council as part of a wider process of institutional reform.
Shettima also stressed the importance of promoting sovereign debt relief and access to trade and financing, noting that countries hosting minerals should benefit from them.
He highlighted Africa’s underrepresentation in global decision-making platforms like the UN Security Council, despite being rich in natural and human resources. Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and a regional power, has long advocated for permanent representation to correct this imbalance.
Shettima stated, “The United Nations will recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was.”
He emphasized the need to close the digital divide, maintaining that “A.I must stand for ‘Africa Included’.”
Shettima added that Nigeria supports the UN80 Initiative of the Secretary-General and the resolution adopted by the Assembly on July 18, 2025, aimed at reforming the wider UN system for greater relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
According to Shettima, no country can achieve a peaceful world in isolation, and sovereignty is a covenant of shared responsibility.
He stated, “Sovereignty is a covenant of shared responsibility, a recognition that our survival is bound to the survival of others. To live up to this charge, we must walk hand in hand with our neighbours and partners.”
Shettima highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to peacekeeping, noting that the country’s soldiers and civilians have participated in 51 out of 60 UN peacekeeping operations since independence in 1960.
He also emphasized the importance of values and ideas in delivering ultimate victory in wars that span generations, stating, “Military tactics may win battles measured in months and years, but in wars that span generations, it is values and ideas that deliver the ultimate victory.”
