WITHOUT doubts, Nigeria occupies prominent position on the enviable list of nations that have contributed and are still contributing to world peace.

Nigeria has indeed taken part and played vital roles in various concerted efforts aimed at guaranteeing peace or restoration of normalcy to countries in wars. Aside committing her enormous material resources into peace efforts, Nigeria has continued to deploy its military personnel to peace missions constituted by the United Nations, African Union or ECOWAS.

Nigeria has always remained committed to genuine efforts aimed at making the work a secure, better and habitable for mankind. It has done this even at the expense of its citizens. Our national history is replete with memorable stories of the number of times Nigeria military troops have led either global or continental military troops in giving trouble-makers a run for their money.

Countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Angola, South Africa and Congo cannot possibly tell the sweet story of the peace they are presently enjoying without paying glowing tributes to Nigeria and its gallant military and police personnel.

That Nigeria, after years of active participation in global security issues, is better placed to advise and equally take part in making decision on world security matters is to restate the obvious.

Obviously, Nigeria has not only taken part in restoring peace to hitherto warring areas, but has played important roles in sustaining world peace. It is in the light of this that other nations have continued to wonder why Nigeria is yet to be considered for a permanent seat in the United Nation’s Security Council, UNSC.

Some have argued that judging from the complex and dynamic nature of world affairs, with particular reference to security in the 21st century, a small group of nations should no longer dominate permanent membership of the Security Council. As it currently stands, the UN agency’s permanent members do not represent the geographical regions of the world.

They equally argued that the Security Council does not reflect the realities and challenges of global geopolitics. If any reforms should be implemented at the UN, they must include the restructuring of the membership of the Security Council.

They also insist that a country of Nigeria’s standing and position should be long seated as a permanent member of the UNSC. It has paid it dues.

The second but more forceful question relates to the African country that should represent the continent at the UN’s security agency. Opinions are divided on this issue. Even as individual African nations continue to demand for the position, Nigeria’s quest stands out.

Its leaders have even argued that it should be the first choice among contending African countries to be honoured with a permanent seat at the Security Council. United Nation’s Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon had during his visit to Nigeria said that “Nigeria is doing just alright”. That’s a synonym for diplomatic subtlety.

Mr Moon’s comment is no doubt a confirmation of the obvious fact that Nigeria is long overdue for a permanent seat in the UNSC. Though it has not been an easy battle back at home, especially with the Boko Haram insurgency, but the country is recording tremendous success against the insurgents and their foreign collaborators.

Some have blindly argued that Nigeria is still battling with a number of challenges and so is not in a good position to campaign for a permanent seat in the UNSC. Such individuals made fruitless attempts to list the Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, inter-ethnic and religious unrest and poor democratic credentials. They further argued that Nigeria is too weighed down by several internal battles to consider demanding for a seat in the UNSC.

Truth is, Nigeria is not the only country faced with existential realities in the world. Nigeria is not the world capital for corruption, kidnapping, and other assorted types of crime. These challenges are not peculiar to Nigeria, even the so-called world powers have their own bit of bitter stories to tell.

It is unfair to use an ad hoc domestic turbulence in Nigeria to give it a negative testimonial, ignoring the nation’s praiseworthy contributions in the global arena in the past and even at present.

After all, all the five Permanent Members of the Security Council have some domestic variables similar to that of Nigeria, and even worse. France, a member of the Security Council has been battling the FLNC, one of the separatists fighting for the independence of Corsica for more than three decades. The separatists used bomb to express their political grievances. Do we have to throw France out of the Security Council?

Russia has its Chechnya separatists issue to contain. China has unresolved issues with Tibet and Muslim separatists in its westernmost region. Britain has its own share of domestic turbulence with the Northern Ireland. Nigeria’s Niger Delta issue is not therefore, worth mentioning. With regards to crimes and corruption, is Nigeria responsible for the collapse of all the multinational corporations in the USA?

It is high time the Security Council yielded to the pressure to “democratise” its activities so as to have a broad representation that reflects the reality of today.

Nigeria has not only met some of its laid down criteria, but has gone ahead to display its avowed readiness to contribute meaningfully to global peace and security.

Mr OLA LOOKMAN, a security expert/analyst, wrote from Abuja