The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, has questioned the Federal Government’s position on the Palestinian crisis after Nigeria’s national statement at the 81st United Nations General Assembly did not make an explicit reference to Palestine, Gaza or the two-state solution.
In a statement issued on Friday by its Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, the organisation said the omission represented a departure from what it described as Nigeria’s more direct references to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at previous international engagements.
Nigeria’s national statement, delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, focused on issues including reform of the UN Security Council, conflicts in Sudan and other regions, international humanitarian law, protection of civilians, humanitarian access, climate finance and reform of the global financial system.
Although the statement did not specifically mention Palestine or Gaza by name, Nigeria called for all parties to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian assistance.
MPAC said the absence of an explicit reference to the Palestinian issue raised questions about whether Nigeria’s diplomatic emphasis on the matter had changed.
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The organisation questioned whether Nigeria’s expanding engagement with Israel had influenced the country’s approach to the Palestinian question.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed a series of engagements with Israel during 2026. In February, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu received Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria Michael Freeman, with discussions covering defence and intelligence, economic cooperation, consular matters and the proposed Nigeria-Israel Joint Commission.
In May, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Nigeria and Israel were seeking deeper bilateral cooperation. Discussions included agriculture, healthcare, innovation, technology and security, alongside wider bilateral and regional issues.
The ministry also reported in August that Nigeria and Israel had reaffirmed their commitment to stronger cooperation in security, defence, trade, agriculture and technology.
MPAC said these developments had prompted it to question how Nigeria was balancing its bilateral relationship with Israel with its previous diplomatic positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The organisation said it wanted the Federal Government to clarify whether its position on Palestine had changed.
MPAC also referred to the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case instituted by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
South Africa filed the case in December 2023, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ subsequently issued provisional measures, while stressing at the preliminary stage that it was not required to determine whether genocide had occurred.
Several countries have subsequently filed declarations of intervention in the case under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, including Libya and the Maldives.
MPAC called on Nigeria to reconsider whether it should intervene in the proceedings, arguing that the country’s position on the case should be reviewed in light of its longstanding diplomatic engagement on international law and Palestinian rights.
The organisation also urged the Federal Government to ensure that its security cooperation with Israel remains subject to appropriate accountability considerations.
MPAC maintained that its concern was not limited to the wording of Nigeria’s UNGA statement but extended to what it described as the need for consistency in the country’s foreign policy.
“Palestine has not disappeared. Gaza has not disappeared. The suffering has not disappeared,” the organisation said.
It argued that Nigerians deserved clarity on whether the government’s approach to the Palestinian question had changed.
According to MPAC, if Nigeria’s foreign policy position has changed, the government should explain the reasons for the shift. If the position remains unchanged, it said the Federal Government should explain why Palestine was not explicitly referenced in the national statement.
The organisation further urged Nigeria to maintain what it described as a consistent approach to international law, civilian protection and accountability regardless of its bilateral relationships.
Nigeria’s UNGA statement, meanwhile, reiterated the government’s broader position that conflicts should be addressed through diplomacy and negotiated settlements, while emphasising the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.
MPAC called for a more visible articulation of Nigeria’s position on Palestine in future international engagements and urged the Federal Government to clarify how its diplomatic relations with Israel fit within its wider foreign-policy commitments.
