UN Secretary-General appoints Nigerian diplomat Ahunna Eziakonwa as Special Adviser on Africa

International

NEW YORK, United States (NPA) — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Nigerian diplomat and development expert Ahunna Eziakonwa as his Special Adviser on Africa.

Eziakonwa succeeds Cristina Duarte of Cabo Verde, whom the Secretary-General commended for her dedicated service and commitment to the United Nations.

The appointment places the Nigerian development specialist at the forefront of the UN’s engagement with African governments, regional institutions, and development partners on issues relating to peace, governance, economic transformation, and sustainable development.

Eziakonwa brings nearly three decades of leadership experience within the United Nations system to the position.

She 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 development programmes across 46 African countries.

In that capacity, she has been responsible for coordinating UNDP’s support for implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 development framework.

Since assuming the role in 2018, she has played a key role in shaping UNDP’s strategic response to political, economic, and social development challenges across the African continent.

Her extensive career within the UN spans humanitarian affairs, development coordination, peacebuilding, and political engagement.

Eziakonwa previously served as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho, where she led efforts in humanitarian response, development planning, and stakeholder engagement.

She also served as Chief of the Africa Section at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in New York, overseeing humanitarian operations across 15 African countries.

Her professional experience further includes senior assignments in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods in the two West African nations.

At UN Headquarters, she contributed to peacekeeping operations, political affairs, strategic communications, and policy development relating to the organisation’s activities across Africa.

Before joining the United Nations, Eziakonwa worked with several African civil society organisations focused on development and social transformation.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs, with a focus on African economic and political development, from Columbia University in New York, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pedagogy, English, and Literary Studies from the University of Benin.

Beyond her native Igbo and English languages, Eziakonwa is fluent in Yoruba and possesses a working knowledge of French.

Her appointment is being viewed as another significant milestone for Nigeria’s representation in international diplomacy and global development leadership.