UN Secretary-General Appoints Nigeria’s Eziakonwa As Special Adviser
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Nigerian diplomat and development expert, Ahunna Eziakonwa, as his new Special Adviser on Africa.
The appointment, announced by the UN on Friday, sees Eziakonwa take over from Cristina Duarte of Cabo Verde. Guterres expressed appreciation for Duarte’s contributions, commending her dedication and service to the global body during her tenure.
Eziakonwa assumes the position with close to 30 years of experience within the United Nations system, having held several senior leadership roles across the African continent and at UN headquarters.
She currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she leads the agency’s engagement with 46 African nations. In that capacity, she has overseen initiatives aimed at advancing the UN’s Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while also supporting the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 development framework.
According to the UN, Eziakonwa has played a central role in shaping UNDP’s development strategy for Africa since 2018, helping to drive policies and programmes focused on economic transformation, governance and sustainable growth across the continent.
Her extensive career has spanned humanitarian, developmental and political assignments. She previously served as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Uganda and Lesotho, where she led UN operations and coordinated responses to complex humanitarian and development challenges.
Eziakonwa also held the position of Chief of the Africa Section at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in New York. In that role, she supervised humanitarian operations across 15 African countries and provided strategic oversight during major crises.
Her experience further includes senior assignments in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods in both countries’ histories, as well as responsibilities at UN headquarters involving peacekeeping, political affairs and strategic communications related to Africa.
The Nigerian diplomat worked closely with several key UN departments, including those responsible for peacekeeping operations, political affairs and public information, contributing to policy development and coordination on African issues.
Before joining the United Nations, Eziakonwa was actively involved in civil society work across Africa, gaining experience in grassroots development and advocacy.
Academically, she holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, where she specialised in African economic and political development. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pedagogy, English and Literary Studies from University of Benin.
In addition to speaking her native Igbo and English, Eziakonwa is fluent in Yoruba and possesses working proficiency in French, skills expected to support her engagement across the diverse linguistic and cultural landscape of Africa in her new advisory role.