On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu presented a bold reform agenda to the United Nations, cautioning that the global body risks sliding into irrelevance unless it undergoes urgent restructuring to reflect today’s realities. In a strongly worded address delivered at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President criticised the UN’s track record, describing the persistent human suffering in the Middle East and other regions as “a stain on our collective humanity.” He argued that the disconnect between the UN’s promises and its actions has severely eroded its credibility.
Tinubu identified Nigeria’s economic transformation as a model for other developing nations while outlining four major reform priorities. Chief among them was Nigeria’s demand for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, which he said must be part of a wider institutional overhaul. “The UN can only reclaim its relevance when it mirrors the world as it is, not as it was,” he declared, stressing that the organization must adapt to shifting global dynamics where key decisions are increasingly taken outside its walls.
Highlighting Nigeria’s journey, the President recalled the country’s transformation from a colonial state of 20 million people excluded from global decision-making to a sovereign nation of over 236 million citizens, projected to become the third most populous country worldwide. He lamented the slow pace of international progress on vital issues such as nuclear disarmament and Security Council reform, urging world leaders to match words with action.
Addressing the Palestinian conflict, Tinubu firmly restated Nigeria’s support for a two-state solution, describing it as the most dignified path to lasting peace. He stressed that Palestinians must not be treated as “collateral damage” but recognized as equal human beings deserving of the freedoms and dignity enjoyed elsewhere.
Beyond political reform, Tinubu also called for sweeping changes to the global financial system. He pressed for innovative solutions to tackle the mounting sovereign debt crisis in developing countries and insisted on urgent debt relief measures. Such steps, he noted, should not be seen as acts of charity but as essential investments in global stability, peace, and shared prosperity.