By Our Reporter
Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month of May 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
The statement was signed by the spokesperson of the ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
In the statement, the ministry said Nigeria’s leadership of the Council underscores its longstanding role in promoting peace, security and stability across the African continent.
The ministry noted that Nigeria last chaired the Council in December 2022 and remains the only member state of the African Union to have served continuously on the Council since its establishment in 2004, bringing valuable institutional memory to its current leadership.
During its tenure, Nigeria is expected to steer discussions on key thematic and country-specific issues affecting the continent, particularly within the West African and Sahel regions.
Among the issues slated for deliberation are the impact of climate change on the crisis in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, strategies for combating transnational organised crime, and the draft five-year AU Continental Counter-Terrorism Strategic Plan of Action.
Other areas of focus include the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and the Combined Maritime Task Force aimed at addressing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Peace and Security Council, a 15-member body elected by the AU Executive Council and endorsed by the AU Assembly, plays a central role in conflict prevention, management and resolution across Africa.
Current members of the Council include Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Algeria, Lesotho, Morocco, Somalia, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Eswatini.
