Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, on Tuesday said he was pushing for the country to earn substantially more from United Nations peacekeeping operations, describing the sector as an underutilised source of foreign exchange that could rival traditional revenue streams.

Ibrahim, who recently assumed office as Chairman of the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, said his priority was to ensure that Nigeria secured a larger share of the billions of dollars the UN spends annually on peacekeeping operations worldwide.

The former senator spoke with journalists at the State House, Abuja, ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday.

According to him, the UN spends about $6.5 billion annually on peacekeeping operations, and another $3.4 billion on general administration, yet Nigeria has not fully maximised the financial opportunities available through its participation in international peace support missions.

“I see many countries depending on peacekeeping for their foreign exchange. What is Nigeria getting from peacekeeping?

“That is very important. A country can earn money, just like from oil or crude oil, from peacekeeping. So if your military capacity is strong, if you have a lot of recruitment and training, you can earn significantly.

“So I see us paying out so much money on peacekeeping, about $6.5 billion every year, and I want to see how much Nigeria is actually getting from that”, Ibrahim said.

He disclosed that discussions were already underway within the UN system to assess Nigeria’s current earnings from peacekeeping operations and identify opportunities for improvement.

“We are working with the General Assembly to see how much we are doing.

"Again, we are advancing Mr President’s project in respect of peacekeeping. I want to see Nigeria earn more from this”, he added.

Speaking on the financial outlook of the United Nations, Ibrahim revealed that the organisation faced a possible $1.5 billion budget deficit this year, but expressed confidence that the Fifth Committee was taking steps to prevent the shortfall from worsening.

“Our current budget is $18.5bn. We might come with a deficit of $1.5bn this year, but we are trying to move out of that deficit to make sure we have enough financing for the budgets”, he said.

The diplomat also outlined ongoing reforms within the global body, saying the Fifth Committee was championing measures to improve efficiency and eliminate duplication among UN agencies under the UN80 reform agenda.

“Over the years, in the last 80 years, the UN has been using the language of sustainable growth.

“But today, we want efficiency and effectiveness. There are so many organs of the UN, so many agencies that mirror one another, and we need to bring them together.

Ibrahim was elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly on June 2, 2026. The committee oversees the UN’s administrative and budgetary matters, including scrutiny and approval of the organisation’s $18.5 billion budget across its 193 member states.

His election came just weeks after President Tinubu appointed him as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. (The Nation)