Nigeria won membership of UN security Council.

About the Council

The Security Council is the most important UN decision-making body, with its five permanent members being Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.Each of the five permanent members has veto power over its decisions. It is tasked with maintaining international peace and security.
The Security Council's 10 non-permanent seats are filled by the General Assembly, with five countries elected each year to two-year non-renewable mandates. To secure a seat, a candidate nation has to win two-thirds of votes cast in a secret ballot.Africa was allotted two seats that went to Nigeria andGabon.

Nigeria was elected with 186 votes, along with Gabon, which received 184 votes.


Nigeria has served three terms —
non-permanent member of the Security Council during the following years:

1966 – 1967

1978 – 1979

1994 – 1995

The Presidency of the Security Council is held in turn by the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each President holds office for one calendar month.

Ten non-permament members, elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms and not eligible for immediate re-election. The number of non-permanent members was increased from six to ten by an amendment of the Charter which came into force in 1965.

Each Council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural matters are made by an affirmative vote of at least nine of the 15 members. Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members. This is the rule of "great Power unanimity", often referred to as the "veto" power.

Under the Charter, all Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to Governments, the Council alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated under the Charter to carry out.

Membership in 2009

The Council is composed of five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — and ten non-permament members (with year of term's end):

Austria (2010) Japan (2010) Uganda (2010)
Burkina Faso (2009) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (2009)
Costa Rica (2009) Mexico (2010)
Croatia (2009) Turkey (2010)
Viet Nam (2009)

The General Assembly elected Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting on 1 January 2010. The newly elected countries will replace Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Viet Nam.

More Info From UN sites here

This information is splendid,I wonder why they choose Nigeria again,It may also interest you to know that South Africa has only served a tenure 2007-008.