Nigeria has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term after securing 172 votes out of 181 ballots cast.
The election was conducted by the UN General Assembly through secret ballot in New York on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
The Federal Government announced the outcome on Wednesday in a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oluwafemi Adeniyi.
According to the statement, Nigeria will serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2027 and ending December 31, 2029.
Nigeria was elected alongside 14 other countries. The four seats allocated to the African regional group went to Zambia with 177 votes, Ghana with 173 votes, Nigeria with 172 votes, and Burundi with 160 votes.
Other countries elected to the 47-member council include Brazil, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Republic of Moldova, Nepal, Ukraine and Uruguay.
The Ministry described the election as a reflection of international confidence in Nigeria’s commitment to advancing human rights. It thanked UN member states for supporting Nigeria’s candidature.
The government also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect, and said it looks forward to working with other council members to promote and protect human rights globally.
The UN Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, is the UN’s intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world and for strengthening international cooperation on human rights issues.
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