United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has named Nigerian development expert Ahunna Eziakonwa as his new Special Adviser on Africa.
She takes over from Cristina Duarte of Cabo Verde, whose contributions to the organisation were acknowledged by the Secretary-General.
Eziakonwa brings close to three decades of experience within the United Nations system. She currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme, where she supervises operations across 46 African countries.
In that capacity, she has played a key role in advancing development initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Since assuming her UNDP leadership role in 2018, she has been instrumental in shaping policies on governance and economic development across the continent.
Her career includes senior assignments as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho, where she managed complex humanitarian and development programmes.
She also previously led the Africa Section at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in New York, overseeing relief operations in multiple African countries, and held roles in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods.
Eziakonwa holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Benin. She is fluent in English, Igbo, and Yoruba, with working knowledge of French.
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