Since its initial deployment to the Congo in 1960 under the command of Assistant Commissioner of Police Louis Edet, Nigeria has made significant contributions to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions. Nigeria has dispatched military and law enforcement personnel to numerous crisis areas across the world over the years, mostly in Africa, such as Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire. Nigeria has made significant efforts to promote democracy in addition to peacekeeping; instances of this include its intervention in São Tomé and Príncipe and its assistance in the orderly handover of power in The Gambia.
With more than 200,000 personnel deployed on 41 peacekeeping missions, Nigeria is heavily involved in these operations. Given that Nigeria’s involvement in the civil war in Liberia is estimated to have cost $8 billion, these interventions come with a heavy financial cost. Nigeria is agitating for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to represent Africa’s population, wealth, and contributions to international Peace and security in appreciation of these efforts. At the UN General Assembly, President Tinubu was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Nigeria’s position in peacekeeping grew outside of Africa.
Given the strategic significance of the continent, he underlined the necessity of incorporating Africa in Security Council reform. Nigeria’s history of peacekeeping can be divided into several historical eras. Nigeria showed its dedication to African unity and peace throughout the post-independence era (1960–1980s) by spearheading initiatives like the UN Mission in the Congo, when it sent one of its first police contingents. Nigeria was crucial to resolving conflicts in West Africa when it was ruled by the military, particularly under General Ibrahim Babangida’s leadership in the 1980s and early 1990s.
One of the most notable instances of Nigerian leadership in peacekeeping is the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) operation in Liberia (1989–1996), where the nation headed a regional force to quell civil unrest and prepare the way for civil rule. Nigeria’s position in peacekeeping grew outside of Africa in the post-military, democratic era. Nigerian soldiers took part in missions in Asian conflicts like Afghanistan and East Timor as well as missions in the Balkans like Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nigeria also began to concentrate more during this time on stabilising the weak African democracies.
Two permanent seats for Africa, with veto power, are the stance of the AU.
An example of this is Nigeria’s intervention in The Gambia during the political unrest of 2017, which made it easier for Yahya Jammeh to leave peacefully after refusing to accept his loss in elections. There are fifteen members of the UN Security Council: ten non-permanent members who are chosen every two years to replace the permanent members, who are the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. Particularly when it comes to decisions pertaining to international peace and security, the permanent members wield great influence.
It will take reform, including changing the UN Charter, to gain a permanent seat on the Security Council. Each of the five permanent members of the UN must ratify this amendment, which needs the approval of a two-thirds majority of the assembly (129 out of 193 member states). Nigeria argues that its substantial population, economic might in Africa, and contributions to international peacekeeping support its claim to a permanent seat. The advocacy for such recognition is being made, meanwhile, by other African nations like Egypt and South Africa. Two permanent seats for Africa, with full veto power, are the stance of the African Union (AU).
Competition from other African powers make this a challenging problem.
Africa hasn’t agreed upon which nations should have these seats, though. Nigeria contends that its past contributions to peacekeeping and its status as a regional leader make it deserving of the post. In addition to their notable contributions to peacekeeping, a number of African countries have presented strong arguments for a permanent membership on the Security Council. The competition from other African powers and the worldwide intricacy of Security Council reform make this a challenging problem, notwithstanding Nigeria’s significant contributions.