79th UNGA: Nigeria solicits Finland’s support for UN permanent seat

Nigeria has solicited the support of Finland in its pursuit of a permanent seat at the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, the Vice President said the support has become necessary given Finland’s role as an European and NATO member and considering the role Nigeria has played over the years in entrenching democratic values and peaceful cohesion.

He said Nigeria remains a super force in Africa and would do all within its reach to close cultural links and ties in the effort to reunite the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and further leave no stone unturned in the quest to stabilise Africa.

“Nigeria has 25 years of uninterrupted democracy. And in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a president with huge democratic credentials and commitment. With him in the saddle, Africa and the larger world would be safe, futuristic, acceptable and more peaceful,” he said.

President Stubb expressed total support for the expansion and reconstruction of the UN Security Council, saying the dictates and dynamics of the modern world demand such change.

He expressed Finland’s continued desire to partner with Nigeria and open new frontiers of development between both countries.

At a meeting with the chairperson of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Bice President stressed the need for consolidation of democracy and peaceful collaborations.

The Vice President indicated Nigeria’s interest in hosting the African Central Bank, maintaining that Africa has come of age to host one.

The AU chairperson thanked Nigeria for its role in stabilising Africa, stressing that the AU would continue to ensure that African stability and peace remain a priority for the body.