A Nigerian security and political affairs expert, Amb. Abayomi Nurain Mumuni has criticised the performance of African leaders at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), describing their engagement as lacklustre and disconnected from the continent’s pressing diplomatic needs.
In a press statement issued on Saturday by his Media Aide, Rasheed Abubakar, Mumuni expressed disappointment that African leaders failed to collectively push for reforms in global governance, especially regarding Africa’s representation at the UN Security Council.
“Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, yet we remain sidelined when it comes to permanent membership or decision-making influence on the Security Council,” he said.
“Only Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima and President William Ruto of Kenya raised this issue meaningfully. Other African leaders missed the opportunity to rally around that call, which is highly condemnable.”
Mumuni, a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) also lamented the silence of many African leaders on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, noting that Africa, having experienced colonialism and genocide, should speak with moral authority on such global injustices.
According to him, “Africa’s silence on Palestine is a missed opportunity. Our leaders’ failure to unite on this issue at the UNGA is not just disheartening, but a moral failing. Yet, countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa have set a commendable example by advocating for Palestinian statehood. I call on other countries to follow their example.”
The expert further criticised the size and cost of some African delegations to UNGA, calling them a “reckless use of taxpayers’ money” in the face of widespread economic hardship across the continent.
He called on the African Union (AU) to “put its house in order” and ensure that future foreign policy representations are handled by diplomats who understand the complexity and gravity of global platforms like the UNGA.
“The UN must also reform the veto system at the Security Council. It contradicts the very principles of equality and justice the UN was founded upon,” he added.
He concluded by urging African governments to take seriously the call for global equity, warning that failure to do so would keep the continent in the margins of global affairs.
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