Shettima at UNGA: Be afraid of a world where propaganda shields aggressors from justice

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has warned against a world where propaganda shields perpetrators from justice, saying the scenario undermines the very essence of the United Nations.

Shettima spoke on Thursday in New York while delivering President Bola Tinubu’s address at the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The vice-president also called for a radical reform of the global order, including the restructuring of the United Nations Security Council to hand Africa permanent representation.

He said the current distribution of power at the UN remains a reflection of 1945 and no longer suits current realities.

“The reform of this institution must begin with the reconstitution of the Security Council, for the world of 2026 cannot remain captive to the distribution of power in 1945,” Shettima said.

“Africa cannot continue to fill the Council’s agenda while remaining absent from its permanent membership.

“Nigeria demands, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including the veto for as long as it exists, and five non-permanent seats in total.

“The authority to speak for humanity carries an obligation to represent it.”

NIGERIA CALLS FOR END TO GLOBAL CONFLICTS

The African nation called for an immediate end to conflicts across the world and urged countries to return to the principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility.

“The persistence of conflict across the world recalls the purpose for which the United Nations was founded: to spare succeeding generations the devastation of war,” Shettima said.

“We must therefore return to the founding principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility.

“Nigeria stands by the Charter and its promise of a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary exercise of power.”

Shettima added that Nigeria remains ready to take on greater responsibility in restoring peace across Africa, citing the country’s contributions to peace efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia.

He said Nigeria continues to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security through ECOWAS, the African Union and its Gulf of Guinea partnerships.

‘AFRICA BEARS HEAVY CLIMATE BURDEN’

Speaking on climate change, Shettima said Nigeria rejects the notion that development and climate action were mutually exclusive.

He said developing countries must be allowed to industrialise, tackle poverty and expand energy access through low-carbon pathways backed by technology transfer and climate financing.

The vice-president said the Tinubu administration is committed to the Paris Agreement and a fair energy transition, noting that Africa contributes less than four percent of global emissions despite bearing a significant climate burden.

He said Nigeria is working towards net-zero emissions by 2060 under its Energy Transition Plan, while expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.

Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s call for reforms to the international financial architecture, wider access to concessional financing and debt sustainability frameworks that take the developmental needs of poorer countries into account.

“One of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development is inadequate financing,” he said.

The vice-president said several developing countries spend a significant portion of their resources on debt servicing at the expense of education, healthcare and infrastructure.

On artificial intelligence, he said Nigeria would not allow fear to dictate its technological future, describing AI as a tool driven by human intent.

According to the address, Nigeria is expanding digital public infrastructure, accelerating broadband deployment and promoting technology entrepreneurship.

‘NO NATION CAN SECURE ITSELF COMPLETELY’

Shettima said Nigeria’s experience in combatting Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups had shown that no country could completely protect itself from threats sustained beyond its borders.

“No nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders,” he said.

The vice-president said modern threats, including terrorism and cyber attacks, exploit gaps in global action, adding that lasting military gains require education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and respect for human rights.

Shettima said Nigeria, as a founding member of ECOWAS, remains committed to regional solidarity and African leadership in resolving security challenges through principled international partnerships.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter, saying the conflicts in Sudan and other war-torn countries require urgent diplomatic intervention.

“We should all be afraid of a world in which we can no longer tell the victim from the aggressor,” he said.

“When our investment in propaganda shields perpetrators from justice to the point that telling the truth becomes a crime, the promise of this institution stands betrayed.”

Shettima concluded by saying a reformed and inclusive UN remains essential to building a peaceful, just and sustainable world.

“A reformed, inclusive and effective United Nations is indispensable to the peaceful, just and sustainable world that future generations deserve,” he added.

“Whatever our differences, we must remember that humanity is our oldest citizenship, and peace is the inheritance we owe every child.”