Tinubu calls on UN Security Council to sanction nuclear proliferation
President Bola Tinubu has urged the UN Security Council to enforce the UN Charter, impose sanctions against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and pursue the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Nigeria’s UN representative said Abuja rejects nuclear weapons and warned that geopolitical tensions continue to carry devastating human costs.
President Bola Tinubu has called on the United Nations Security Council to take a stronger leadership role in enforcing the UN Charter and imposing sanctions against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Nigeria’s position was delivered by its permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, during a high-level plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting marked the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Ibrahim said the elimination of nuclear weapons remained the United Nations’ highest disarmament priority. He conveyed Tinubu’s statement that Nigeria’s national security did not depend on nuclear weapons and that the country was not among the states holding the 12,187 nuclear warheads cited at the meeting. The envoy said Nigeria opposed both the production and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
He described countries and groups that develop or support weapons of mass destruction as enemies of democracy, according to the account of his remarks. Ibrahim urged states to observe Article 6 of the UN Charter on disarmament and Article 2(4), which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. He said compliance with the Charter could strengthen international peace and reduce incentives to produce or spread such weapons.
He also conveyed Tinubu’s commendation of African leaders’ efforts to keep the continent free from nuclear-weapons testing and the production of weapons of mass destruction. The ambassador recalled the loss of life caused by the two atomic bombings during the Second World War and said the international community could not afford actions that intensified geopolitical tensions. The UN meeting was intended to raise awareness of the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and encourage international efforts towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Nigeria’s appeal placed sanctions, disarmament and respect for the Charter at the centre of its contribution to the discussion.
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