Immediate past Nigerian Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, will be sworn-in on Tuesday as the UN Deputy Secretary-General at the global body’s headquarters in New York.
Ms. Mohammed, 55, who was appointed by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on December 15, 2016 as his deputy, was supposed to assume office on January 1.
She, however, delayed the assumption of her new role at the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to complete some ongoing responsibilities she was handling at that time.
The office of the UN Deputy Secretary-General was formally established by the General Assembly in 1997 to handle many of the administrative responsibilities of the Secretary-General.
As the fifth deputy secretary-general, Ms. Mohammed will help to manage the UN Secretariat operations, and “ensuring inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coherence of activities and programmes”.
She will also support the secretary-general in elevating “the profile and leadership of the UN in the economic and social spheres, including further efforts to strengthen the UN as a leading centre for development policy and development assistance”.
In accepting the appointment, the then environment minister said she would continue to lay strong foundations for the various ongoing initiatives critical to the Federal Government’s success in the environment sector.
Mohammed also thanked her colleagues and the various stakeholders in the environment sector.
“The next phase of my continued service to the people of Nigeria at the global level, will certainly build on the rich insights and lessons drawn from engaging with leaders, colleagues and stakeholders across our beloved nation,” she said.
Mohammed served as UN under-secretary-general and special adviser to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning.
She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs.
Before joining the UN, Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as special adviser on MDGs.
She provided advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions.
A valedictory reception was held for her by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council chaired by acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday last week.
