Professor Kayode Soremekun, an international relations scholar and former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, has questioned Nigeria’s push for permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the country must first strengthen its economic and security foundations.
Soremekun said Nigeria’s dependence on foreign countries for basic needs, including military equipment, weakens its position in global geopolitics.
He made the remarks while assessing Nigeria’s foreign policy and its place in the international system.
According to him, seeking permanent seats without addressing domestic challenges amounts to “arguing on our knees.”
“First and foremost, we must achieve food security. Secondly, we must rely on ourselves,” Soremekun said.
He also questioned whether permanent African seats would come with veto powers, noting that the five existing permanent members of the Security Council, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, hold veto power.
Soremekun argued that Nigeria’s reliance on foreign countries extends beyond security, pointing to the tendency of political leaders to seek medical treatment and educate their children abroad.
He also linked Nigeria’s challenges to migration, saying Africans continue to face restrictions and what he described as humiliating policies abroad.
The professor described Nigeria’s current position in global geopolitics as that of a “minimal power,” citing the country’s dependence on imports and its limited industrial capacity.
He also criticized what he called Nigeria’s continued emphasis on consumption rather than production, saying the country must build stronger domestic institutions and productive capacity before pursuing greater influence internationally.
Soremekun further questioned Nigeria’s celebration of independence, arguing that the country has struggled to develop a self-reliant political and economic system since 1960.
His comments come amid renewed calls for reform of the United Nations Security Council and permanent African representation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also described the absence of permanent African seats on the Council as “indefensible.”
Soremekun, who was appointed the third Vice Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti in 2016, is a professor of international relations and has written extensively on Nigeria’s foreign policy and international affairs.
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