SAN identifies setbacks to Nigeria’s bid for UN Security Council seat
By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
Renowned legal luminary, Barr. Ngozi Olehi, SAN, has identified Nigeria’s struggle with political instability, structural and debilitating economic challenges, crippling inflation over the years as major setbacks to the country’s bid for a permanent seat in the Security Council of the United Nations.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, dropped the bombshell during a chat with newsmen in Owerri at the weekend while reacting to Federal Government’s renewed bid for UN Security Council seat under President Bola Tinubu.
He stated that Nigeria ordinarily is qualified to bid for the coveted seat at the weekend, noting with dismay that the above mentioned challenges must be tackled if the country need to actualize the diplomatic aspiration.
According to him, the above-listed sociopolitical and economic challenges which have practically decimated the middle class and subjected about half of the population to multidimensional abject poverty and intractable insecurity are vicious obstacles to such noble ambition; currently being canvassed by President Tinubu.
Olehi, contended that the global community would hardly ignore Nigeria’s faltering governance mechanisms, vanishing democratic values, dominance of tribal and religious politics and her unprecedented corruption level to consider her for plum position.
He maintained that the UN will always give consideration to which of the viable African countries in the contest would perform better at the Council rather than look in the direction of Nigeria with her many baggages.
His words, “The bid for UN Security Council Permanent seat would make it imperative to carry out critical economic and political reforms that will clean up governance in respect of which Nigeria is currently ranked the fourth worst governed in the world.
“The Institute for Economics and Peace 2025 survey has ranked Nigeria 148th on the Global Peace Index (GPI), indicating a troubling state of peace within the nation while some other contenders like Kenya, South Africa and Egypt are far more peaceful and economically stable than Nigeria.”
Barr Olehi, SAN further noted that although Nigeria faces tightening constraints due to foreign exchange challenges and poor energy infrastructure, with a GDP over four times that of Kenya, Nigeria’s market size and appeal for business expansion is more attractive than that of Kenya.
While admitting that Nigeria has a larger market size, he observed that Kenya boasts of a more resilient macroeconomic landscape with lower inflation, interest rates, and unemployment levels.
To salvage the situation, the senior lawyer therefore called on the political class not to compromise Nigeria’s chances by their fiscal recklessness and mindless indiscretions.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria identified the key factors for accelerated socio-economic growth and political stability to include strong institutions, human capital development and rule of law.
He advised, “There is nothing wrong with aligning with and applying globally accepted modes of governance devoid of abject forms of corruption, incompetence and bigotry to attain noble positions with international significance like membership of the Security Council of the United Nations.
“Nigerians have been so traumatized by the consequences of bad leadership and have been dehumanized by citizens of other countries they have gone for greener pastures that everyone should rise to the challenge of dismantling obstacles to development governance no matter how formidable because permanent seat at the UN Security Council will reverse the odium bad leadership has brought upon Nigeria if the basics are taken care of
Olehi, SAN posited that the journey of revamping Nigeria’s unsavory political culture would begin by reducing the cost of governance and improving its quality without which it would be impossible to have decent governance that could attract global respect.
