There may soon be an African seat at the United Nations Security Council, and it’s about time, writes Ademola Oshodi.

On 12 August 2024, United Nations General Secretary António Guterres told the Security Council that it needed to reform. In particular, he said it was time for permanent African representation on the Council. “We cannot accept that the world’s preeminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people…nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.”

His announcement has caused a major buzz on the international scene. This seems like an exciting development – a bold step towards representation and relevance for a continent with a checkered history of suppression and colonialism – which may help tilt the scale of an unbalanced global order. However, we are forced to ask critical questions. Questions that may determine the trajectory of the continent in the coming decades.

Why now? It is not news that in the past decades and recent years, there has been an increase in the political and economic scramble for post-independent Africa – especially between the West and Russia (and its allies) – a situation that has exacerbated since Russia invaded Ukraine. This is in addition to the increased security and governance challenges on the continent. These realities call for consensus for a continent of over 1.5 billion people to decide on its political and security interests, rather than leaving such important decisions in the hands of others. There has never been a more appropriate time for the continent to present a united front on the global scene.

Is this merely symbolic? The question of symbolism versus relevance will be determined by the actions and cohesion of key leaders in the continent. To either settle for the role of house furniture or actively pursue relevance is squarely on their shoulders. This seat offers the continent an opportunity to amplify its voice and participate in the decision-making process that affects the continent and the entire world. Africa can ensure that a permanent seat on the UNSC leads to substantial outcomes by taking active decisions that suit its unique contexts towards stable governance, economic development, and diplomacy. Whether the position turns out to be of relevance or symbolic, depends on the continent’s leadership and her representative in the UNSC.

Who represents Africa? The discussion about the selection process for this position and how Africa intends to address its internal challenges constitutes an elephant in the room that requires attention. The question of who represents and what modality the representation should take could be settled by significant investment in building trust and a willingness to engage in open dialogue, diplomatic discussions, and negotiations among African leaders. It may be logical to be represented by either of the founding members – Egypt, Liberia, Ethiopia, and South Africa – because of their length of presence in the UN. Despite not being a founding member, the lot may well fall on Nigeria – one of Africa’s largest economies and most populated and a major player in the region. Nigeria has over the decades, proven itself a natural leader and a major force on issues of governance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Based on SSA’s population, geography, and economic endowment, the uniqueness of Africa should be considered for representation on the UNSC. By extrapolation, Nigeria stands head and shoulder high amongst other contenders. Her achievements in peacekeeping, the emancipation of South Africa from apartheid, and the independence of several African countries tell the story.

While arguments could be made for the founding members and Morocco, Egypt and Morocco, for instance, show strong affinities with the Middle East as members of the Arab League, making absolute fidelity to the African cause, a remote possibility. Being a diverse and complex continent, with each country boasting its own unique history, culture, and political system, with differences in the development spectrum and challenges (which could make it difficult to achieve a unified front), it is possible that African leaders can strive towards a unified and cohesive policy agenda that reflects its diversity and context.

Freedom to define one’s choices is a given rather than a negotiable. Africa deserves a voice in the UNSC. Africa is ready, and, yes, the seat should come with all the powers ascribable. Not having veto power still unbalances the scale in the final decision-making. The saying, if you are not at the table, then you are on the menu, aptly describes the situation of the continent in the UNSC for decades – despite over 50 per cent of UN peacekeeping being in Africa and 40 per cent of peacekeepers being Africans. For the narrative to change, Africa must be allowed to be at the table with enough power to determine what should be served on the table.

Photo credit: United Nations used with permission CC BY-NC-ND 2.0