Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has questioned a claim by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, that Nigeria is “in charge” of the UN’s budget and administration and consequently “controls” its $18.5 billion budget.
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Odinkalu reacted on Wednesday to comments made by Ibrahim on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, where the envoy spoke about Nigeria’s current positions within the UN system and the country’s continuing push for a permanent seat on the Security Council.
Quoting Ibrahim’s claim, Odinkalu wrote on X:
“We are in charge of the budget of @UN, meaning that we control the whole of the 85bn USD budget of the UN…..”
He then added: “U can take a guy out of @NGRSenate but u cannot take the ways of @NGRSenate out of dude. Loopy or what….?!”
In the video from the UNGA81 sidelines, however, Ibrahim put the figure at $18.5 billion, not $85 billion.
Speaking about the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu, Ibrahim said securing Nigeria a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council remained a major objective.
“The mandate is very clear from Mr. President. The mandate is to get seats in the Security Council of the United Nations, and that’s the mandate given to me,” he said.
He said Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is representing Tinubu at UNGA81, understood the objective and was expected to reflect Nigeria’s priorities in the national statement he would deliver at the General Assembly.
Ibrahim then pointed to Nigeria’s current roles within the UN as evidence of what he described as the country’s growing influence.
“As a matter of fact, let me say clearly that Nigeria is doing currently very well. We are in charge of budgets and the whole of administration of the United Nations,” he said.
He continued: “We chair that, meaning that we control the $18.5 billion budget of the UN.”
Ibrahim was referring to his position as chairman of the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which deals with administrative and budgetary matters. The UN formally lists him as chairman of the committee for the 81st session.
He also referred to Nigeria’s leadership role in the UN’s peacekeeping structure, saying the country also chairs the relevant peacekeeping committee.
According to him, obtaining a permanent Security Council seat would therefore represent the completion of another major part of Nigeria’s diplomatic assignment at the organisation.
“So if we get our seat in the Security Council, we will have completed the entire assignment,” Ibrahim said.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria would make progress on that objective during the 81st General Assembly and said Shettima’s statement would reflect the country’s broader mandate.
The United Nations Fifth Committee, however, does not give its chairman or the chairman’s country unilateral control over the UN budget.
The committee is one of the six main committees of the General Assembly and considers administrative and budgetary questions on behalf of all UN member states. It deliberates on financial proposals and recommends action to the General Assembly, which ultimately approves the organisation’s budget.
TVC reported on Tuesday that Ibrahim is chairing the Fifth Committee and described the role as placing a Nigerian diplomat at the head of the body overseeing administrative and budgetary affairs, rather than conferring unilateral control over UN finances.
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