UN Appoints Nigeria’s Ahunna Eziakonwa as Special Adviser on Africa

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Nigeria’s Ahunna Eziakonwa as his Special Adviser on Africa.

She replaces Cristina Duarte, with Guterres expressing appreciation for Duarte’s “commitment and dedicated service to the Organisation,” according to the statement.

Eziakonwa currently serves as UN Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In that capacity, she oversees UNDP’s support to 46 African countries working toward the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

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

Her previous roles include serving as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho.

She has also worked as Chief of the Africa Section at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in New York, where she managed operations across 15 African countries.

The statement further noted that Eziakonwa also held senior positions in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods in both countries.

Fluent in English and her native Igbo, she also speaks Yoruba and has working knowledge of French.