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‘Good Riddance to a Bad Rubbish’: Nigerian Prof Explains Why Africa Won't Miss US at UN

16:21, 22 February 2025

Christina Glazkova

Writer / Editor

US Republicans introduced a bill on Thursday to withdraw the country from the United Nations. The proposal aims to end all US financial contributions to the UN, prohibits US involvement in UN peacekeeping, and requires Senate approval for any presidential attempt to rejoin. Sputnik Africa discussed the potential implications with a Nigerian expert.

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The potential withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations is not a cause for concern but rather a long-overdue shift in global power dynamics, Abubakar Sadeeque Abba, Professor of Political Economy and Developmental Studies at the University of Abuja, told Sputnik Africa.

According to him, the US has long used the UN as a tool to maintain its global dominance.

“It will signal the end of the hegemonic power of the United States of America,” he stated, adding that the country’s exit would open the door for a fairer international system.

Rather than weakening the UN, the professor argued that the US departure would create new opportunities for African and developing nations.

“The exit of the US is not going to create a gap or a vacuum; rather, it's going to create an opportunity and benefits, not only for African countries but for all developing countries and third-world countries to find their own levels,” he pondered.

Moreover, Sadeeque Abba believes that this shift would strengthen Africa’s ties with alternative global powers.

“We are willing, we are ready, we are desperate to liaise and to unite, to collaborate, to cooperate with China, with Russia, with the EU, with BRICS. BRICS has been a platform that is new, that is unfolding, that is promising for African countries,” the professor said.

Ultimately, he dismissed concerns about Africa’s reliance on the US, arguing that the continent is prepared for a new geopolitical order.

“We are not going to miss the United States of America. In fact, it is good riddance to a bad rubbish,” Sadeeque Abba said.

US Republicans Introduce Bill to Fully Withdraw Country From UN

21 February, 13:54

Furthermore, with the potential exit of the US from the UN, Russia also finds itself at a crucial geopolitical crossroads, the expert noted.

“Russia is dancing between the devil and the devil, and [fortunately] for Russia, the devil has decided on his own to commit suicide,” Sadeeque Abba stated, suggesting that the US withdrawal presents a strategic opening for Moscow to strengthen its influence.

According to the professor, if Russia remains committed to fairness and global equity, it has the chance to reshape the international system.

“If Putin is sincere with his foreign policy of carrying everybody along, if Putin's desire is to liberate mankind and humanity, if Russia's foreign policy is equality, fairness, justice, and equity, then certainly this melodrama created by America… is a good beginning for Russia to re-establish itself not only as a global power but as a power that has a listening ear,” he suggested.

Sadeeque Abba further argued that Russia could take on the role of addressing long-standing imbalances in global governance.

“A power that understands the needs of others, a power that is willing and ready and able, with capability and capacity, to address the imbalances that were created by colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialism by the forces of evil,” he concluded.