Nigeria has secured a permanent seat on the Board of the African Central Bank following a decision by the Executive Council of the African Union (AU), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, describing it as a significant diplomatic and institutional milestone that highlights Nigeria’s growing influence in shaping Africa’s financial and economic framework.
According to Tuggar, the development was one of Nigeria’s key achievements at the recently concluded 39th session of the AU Executive Council, where the country recorded notable progress in diplomacy, economic integration and institutional leadership.
“A major highlight of the session was the Council’s agreement to grant Nigeria a permanent seat on the Board of the African Central Bank,” he said. “This landmark decision reflects Nigeria’s strategic role in advancing Africa’s financial architecture and monetary integration.”
He explained that the approval also extends Nigeria’s representation to the Board of the Technical Convergence Committee of the African Monetary Institute, which serves as the institutional precursor to the establishment of the African Central Bank. The move, Tuggar noted, underscores Nigeria’s technical expertise, economic strength and long-standing commitment to Africa’s monetary integration agenda.
On peace and security matters, the minister said the session also saw the successful election of candidates jointly endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the AU Peace and Security Council.
“This outcome demonstrates the strong unity among ECOWAS member states and the region’s collective determination to promote stability and shared security across the continent,” he stated.
Tuggar further noted that Nigeria showed leadership in promoting democratic governance by convening a Ministerial High-Level Panel Discussion on Regional Partnerships for Democracy. The event, he said, attracted broad participation from ministers, senior officials and delegates from across Africa and the international community.
He added that the panel encouraged meaningful discussions on strengthening democratic institutions, advancing inclusive governance and enhancing regional collaboration to sustain democratic values.
The minister maintained that Nigeria’s engagements and outcomes at the 39th AU Executive Council session reaffirm the country’s commitment to the core objectives of the African Union, particularly in promoting economic integration, institutional development, peace, security and democratic governance across the continent.
He added that the Federal Government remains dedicated to working closely with AU member states and regional bodies to advance shared prosperity, stability and sustainable development in Africa.
