Nigeria Assumes Chairmanship of AU Peace, Security Council for May 2026

Nigeria Assumes Chairmanship of AU Peace, Security Council for May 2026

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month of May 2026.

According to the Ministry, this marks the first time Nigeria is leading the Council since December 2022. As the only member state to have served continuously on the Council since its establishment in 2004, Nigeria is expected to bring significant institutional experience and leadership to its role.

During its tenure, Nigeria will steer deliberations on a range of critical thematic and country-specific issues affecting the continent, particularly the West African and Sahel regions.

Key areas of focus include the impact of climate change on conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, strategies for combating transnational organised crime, and the development of a five-year continental counter-terrorism strategic plan.

Other priority issues to be addressed include the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and the establishment of a Combined Maritime Task Force to tackle 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, serving two- or three-year terms based on regional representation.

Current members of the Council include Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Algeria, Lesotho, Morocco, Somalia, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Eswatini.

The Ministry stated that Nigeria’s leadership of the Council underscores its continued commitment to promoting peace, security, and stability across Africa.

Nigeria Assumes Chairmanship of AU Peace, Security Council for May 2026