Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed has been reappointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term.
Prior to her appointment in 2017, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.
Amina J. Mohammed is one of the important world leaders from Nigeria who is serving as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
As the Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment after which she joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“I am deeply humbled to serve a second term as UN Deputy Secretary-General alongside @antonioguterres. I begin this new term as a proud Nigerian woman with renewed hope in human solidarity and determination to keep the promise of the #SDGs.
We will leave no one behind.”
Says Amina J on Twitter
The UN reports that Amina Mohammed’s leadership helped advance the conceptual shift from the UN that the Member States called for in adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres after the appointment expressed his appreciation for the Deputy Secretary-General’s leadership of the UN Sustainable Development Group and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximize the impact of the UN development’s system on the ground.
“From our robust response to the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis; through a boost in climate action and unprecedented momentum for Financing for Development; to her strong emphasis on coherence across humanitarian, political and development action – her role was instrumental in keeping the SDGs alive at the country level and protecting the Paris Agreement, despite significant headwinds,” he added.
She first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning, after which she led the process that resulted in a global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Amina Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria, served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Nigerian presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.
