Why Nigeria deserves a seat at G20 – Tuggar

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maitama Tuggar, has criticized the G20 for having only one African country as a member, despite the continent being a major topic of global discussions.

According to reports, Tuggar argued that Nigeria should be granted permanent G20 membership, similar to South Africa, given its significant role on the continent.

In an interview with News Central, the Minister pointed out that Europe and Latin America have multiple representatives in the G20, emphasizing that South Africa’s inclusion—along with the African Union—should not diminish Nigeria’s importance.

He further noted that while South Africa currently has the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria is undergoing economic reforms aimed at strengthening its position as a leading force on the continent.

His words: “We’re rebasing or recalculating our economy, nothing taken from South Africa, but we are going to be, once again, the largest economy on the African continent. So South Africa needs a partner in G20, and it’s not enough to just say the African Union is in there as a continental body, because don’t forget that the European Union is part of the G20, and yet Germany is a member. France is a member. Italy is a member.

“If you go to Latin America or South America, Latin America, I would say, you have Argentina, you’ve got Mexico. So they are members, but why should it be Africa that is only allowed one country, and then the next entry would just be the African Union? We need more than one country. Most of these other continents, all except for Australia, which is really just dominated by one country. You could argue that New Zealand is there, but it makes sense if Australia is the only country representing its continent.

“But when it comes to Africa, 55 countries, it’s not good enough, it’s not fair, especially at a time when Africa is the subject that’s being discussed by the entire planet.”