Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, says the country is on course to win a seat on the UN Security Council next year. Ibrahim spoke after Nigeria’s candidate, Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia, was re-elected to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on Friday.
He described the win as further evidence of Nigeria’s growing diplomatic influence at the UN, and congratulated President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu, and Nigerian women on the achievement.
According to Ibrahim, Nigeria has secured three major international wins since he assumed office at the UN a few weeks ago: Prof. Femi Elias’s election to the International Law Commission, Eghobamien-Mshelia’s re-election to CEDAW, and his own election as Chairman of the UN Budget Committee. He also noted the appointment of Mrs Ahunna Eziakonwa as Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Africa.
Ibrahim said President Tinubu had given him a clear mandate to secure Nigeria’s election to the Security Council, calling it “my biggest gift to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians” when it happens.
He had earlier assured Eghobamien-Mshelia’s victory at a meeting with the Association of Nigerians in the UN system. Eghobamien-Mshelia thanked the Nigerian government for her nomination and credited Nigeria’s UN mission for an intensive campaign that secured broad African support.
