UN Secretary-General Appoints Nigerian as Special Adviser on Africa
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Nigerian development expert, Ahunna Eziakonwa, as Special Adviser on Africa.
According to a statement issued by the United Nations on Friday, she succeeds Cristina Duarte of Cabo Verde, whom the Secretary-General “is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organisation.”
Eziakonwa currently serves as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she oversees support to 46 African countries in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“Since 2018, she has helped shape UNDP’s strategic approach to economic and political development across the continent,” the statement said.
The UN said her experience spans over two decades of service within the organisation, including roles as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho, where she coordinated development and humanitarian interventions.
She previously served as Chief of the Africa Section at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in New York, managing humanitarian operations across more than 15 African countries, and also held senior positions in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods of recovery and transition.
At UN Headquarters, she contributed to peacekeeping, political analysis and strategic communications across the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations, Political Affairs, and Public Information. Before joining the United Nations, she worked with several civil society organisations in Africa.
Eziakonwa holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, United States, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education, English and Literary Studies from the University of Benin, Nigeria.
She is fluent in Igbo and English, also speaks Yoruba fluently, and has a working knowledge of French, according to the UN statement.
Tags: #UN #Africa #Nigeria #AhunnaEziakonwa #Guterres #Diplomacy #InternationalAffairs #BreakingNews
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