Nigeria has recorded a significant diplomatic win at the 39th African Union Summit, securing a permanent seat on the board of the African Central Bank.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, announced the development on Friday, describing it as a landmark achievement for both Nigeria and the West African region.
“Importantly, Nigeria has been given the hosting of the African Monetary Institute and the African Central Bank. Not only that, in today’s plenary, Nigeria was confirmed a seat on the board of the African Central Bank. This is huge,” Tuggar said.
He noted that the decision followed intense diplomatic engagement, revealing that the bid initially faced resistance from some member states.
“It is something that was initially resisted by some countries, so now we have a permanent seat on the African Central Bank board. It’s a major success,” he added.
This year’s summit is themed, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” Deliberations are focused on strengthening continental commitments to sustainable water management and improved sanitation, key drivers of public health, agricultural productivity, and the broader development targets of the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.
Beyond financial governance, Nigeria and the West African bloc also made gains in elections to the Peace and Security Council, the African Union’s top decision-making body on conflict and security issues. Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and the Republic of Benin were elected, with Benin securing a fresh term while the other two countries were re-elected.
The Peace and Security Council also met to deliberate on the situations in Sudan and Somalia. Nigeria expressed strong reservations about Sudan’s potential readmission into the continental body.
“Nigeria voiced its reservations about Sudan being readmitted because, as you know, there are two warring factions in Sudan,” Tuggar stated.
“We reminded the Peace and Security Council that we have to abide by the rules and regulations of the African Union. If there has been an unconstitutional change of government, then the country should not be allowed to participate, and that was carried.”
Looking ahead, the summit outlined water sustainability as its 2026 theme. Tuggar underscored Nigeria’s strategic and demographic importance in advancing that agenda.
“Nigeria was created out of the confluence of the River Niger and the River Benue. So water is very important,” he said.
“We are the largest country in Africa, with a population of 230 million people. We’re going to be 400 million in the next 24 years. So water is a source of life. It’s very important, and we’re playing a very pivotal role in implementing the programs that are being set for the theme of the year.”
Nigeria’s delegation was further bolstered by the arrival of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is expected to participate in high-level plenary sessions.
