Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for May 2026, with a focus on tackling terrorism, climate change, piracy and broader security challenges across the continent.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.

According to the ministry, Nigeria last chaired the council in December 2022 and remains the only AU member state to have served continuously on the PSC since its establishment in 2004.

It noted that Nigeria would leverage its institutional experience to guide deliberations during the month.

The ministry said the May session would address a range of thematic and country-specific issues affecting West Africa, the Sahel and the wider continent.

Key areas of focus include the impact of climate change on crises in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, strategies to combat transnational organised crime, and the draft five-year AU Continental Counter-Terrorism Strategic Plan of Action.

Other priorities listed are the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and the Combined Maritime Task Force to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

The ministry explained that the AU Peace and Security Council is a 15-member body elected by the Executive Council and endorsed by the AU Assembly, with members serving two- or three-year terms based on regional representation.

Current members include Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Algeria, Lesotho, Morocco, Somalia, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Eswatini.