By Ndudirim Silvia Iloka
Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month of May 2026, taking a leading role in shaping discussions on critical peace and security issues across the continent.
The development was disclosed in a press statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, who noted that Nigeria last held the position in December 2022. He stated that as the only member state to have served continuously on the Council since its establishment in 2004, Nigeria brings significant institutional experience to the leadership of the body.
According to the statement, Nigeria will steer deliberations on a range of thematic and country-specific concerns affecting Africa, with particular attention to the West African and Sahel regions. Key issues on the agenda include the impact of climate change on crisis situations in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, strategies for tackling transnational organised crime, and consideration of a draft five-year continental counter-terrorism plan.
Other areas expected to receive attention during the month include the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and efforts to strengthen maritime security through the proposed Combined Maritime Task Force to address piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
The African Union Peace and Security Council is composed of 15 member states elected by the Executive Council and endorsed by the Assembly, with members serving either two or three-year terms based on regional representation. The current membership includes Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Algeria, Lesotho, Morocco, Somalia, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Eswatini.
