Racing Against the Tide? A Critique of Nigeria’s Quest for Membership of the United Nations Security Council

Abstract

The recent vigorous campaign by Nigerian government for a permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council is, like previous attempts, hinged on the country’s ‘track record’ in peacekeeping operations. However, in recent years, particularly since the uprising of the Boko Haram terrorist group, it appears that Nigeria’s commitment to this role has diminished considerably in its foreign policy priorities. This article, against this background, makes three arguments: First, it argues that Nigeria’s reluctance to keep faith with its peacekeeping mission is undermining the critical platform under which the quest for the seat is based. Second, notwithstanding the possession of the realist’s attributes of a regional leader, Nigeria’s poor image and dearth of soft power has created legitimacy crisis for it among regional states and beyond as none of its traditional allies in the Security Council has thrown its weight behind its bid. Finally, the study shows that the preponderance number of Nigerians does not subscribe to Nigeria’s bid in view of the security and socio-economic crises battling the country. Rather than dissipating energy on the quest, such effort should be channelled towards addressing the myriad domestic challenges threatening human security in the country.