Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) for May 2026, stepping into a central role in continental peace efforts.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
The country last held the position in December 2022 and remains the only member state to have served continuously on the Council since its establishment in 2004, a position that places it in a strong standing to guide deliberations.
During its one-month tenure, Nigeria is expected to preside over discussions covering key security and governance concerns affecting Africa, with focus on both regional and broader continental matters.
Among the issues slated for deliberation are the impact of climate change on crises in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, strategies to tackle transnational organised crime, and the Draft Five-Year AU Continental Counter Terrorism Strategic Plan of Action.
Other areas include the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and efforts to strengthen maritime security through the Combined Maritime Task Force to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
The PSC, a 15-member body of the African Union, is elected by the Executive Council and endorsed by the Assembly, with members serving either two or three-year terms based on regional representation.
Its 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.