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

He stated this in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, on Saturday, following a high-level bilateral meeting between Guterres and Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union, AU, Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday.

“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.

According to the statement, Guterres also highlighted Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, and vast natural and human resources.

The UN chief also commended Nigeria’s economic reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions despite facing domestic security challenges.

According to Guterres, “Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.” 

In a quick response to the talks, Vice President Shettima of Nigeria thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in promoting global peace, noting that Africa has benefited from Guterres’ tenure even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.

We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” Shettima said.

The Vice President also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.

He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that “Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa.