Guterres Urges Nigeria to Lead Africa’s Push for New Global Order

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on Nigeria to spearhead Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward greater global influence.

(L-R) Minster of Foreign Affairs, Amb Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Vice President Kashim Shettima, UN Secretary General, Mr Antonio Guterres and UN Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Amina Mohammed 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 on Friday, 13-02-2026

Guterres made the remarks on Friday during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the African Union’s 39th summit in Addis Ababa.

He praised the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and commended Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting stability across West Africa and the Sahel despite its own security challenges.

According to the UN chief, Nigeria’s large population, democratic continuity, abundant natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateral diplomacy place it in a strong position to champion Africa’s interests in an evolving global system.

“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 said.

The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and the United Nations in areas including economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.

Responding, Shettima thanked Guterres for his leadership in advancing global peace, noting that Africa had benefitted significantly from his tenure at the UN, even as the organisation undergoes internal restructuring.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism and stronger partnerships with global institutions, while reiterating the country’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the UN system to reflect current geopolitical realities. The Vice President stressed that Africa deserves stronger representation in global decision-making structures and maintained that Nigeria should occupy a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Both leaders pledged to deepen collaboration, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its expanding role in promoting peace, security, and development across the African continent.