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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Nigeria is well-positioned to lead Africa in a restructured global order, according to a statement from Nigeria’s presidency.
Guterres made the declaration on Friday during a bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
Nigeria is well-positioned to lead Africa in the changing global order because of its large population, long history of democratic governance, abundant natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism, according to a statement from presidential aide Stanley Nkwocha.
“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 as saying.
Nkwocha said the UN chief also commended reforms under President Bola Tinubu and praised Nigeria’s role in stabilising the Sahel and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and the United Nations on economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development and humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Shettima was quoted as saying, “We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions.”
The vice president stated Nigeria’s call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities 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 role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa, the statement said.
