At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, that Nigeria should take a leading role in Africa’s campaign for a restructured global order, arguing that the country is positioned to help the continent gain greater global influence.
Guterres made the remarks on Friday, February 13, 2026, during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit. The African Union is a 55-member organisation that convenes African leaders and senior officials to shape common policies and respond to regional challenges.
During the discussion, the UN Secretary-General praised the economic reforms of the administration of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He also pointed to Nigeria’s role in promoting stability in West Africa and the Sahel, a vast semi-arid belt across Africa that has struggled with insecurity and political shocks, even while Nigeria continues to face security challenges of its own.
The meeting focused on developments within Nigeria and the country’s expanding leadership role in regional efforts aimed at stability. Guterres linked Nigeria’s economic restructuring and its security commitments to a stronger continental profile, indicating that these steps have improved how Nigeria is viewed across Africa.
The conversation also touched on regional stabilisation work involving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-country bloc that has played a central role in West African diplomatic and security initiatives, alongside broader efforts to manage instability in the Sahel.
Shettima, in response, thanked Guterres for his leadership on global peace issues and said African countries have benefitted from his tenure, even as the United Nations goes through internal restructuring.