Secretary-General Appoints Babatunde A. Ahonsi of Nigeria United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Babatunde A. Ahonsi of Nigeria as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, with the host Government’s approval.

Mr. Ahonsi has 26 years of experience in international development acquired inside and outside the United Nations.

Prior to his current appointment, he served as UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone where he coordinated and facilitated the UN’s operational activities for development in the country.  During his tenure, he led the UN country team and ensured system-wide accountability on the ground for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.  He also coordinated UN support to Sierra Leone in its implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Secretary-General’s Prevention Agenda. 

He also served as UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in China from June to September 2020.  In addition, he served as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in China/Country Director for Mongolia from January 2017 to June 2020, and as UNFPA Representative in Ghana from 2014 to 2016.

Between 1997 and 2014, he held senior management positions with the Ford Foundation (covering West Africa) and the Population Council (covering Nigeria), overseeing reproductive health, women’s empowerment and youth development programmes and initiatives.  He also lectured at federal universities in Ilorin, Calabar and Lagos, Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s.

Mr. Ahonsi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and a Doctor of Philosophy in population studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, England.

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* This press release supersedes Press Release SG/A/1984 of 21 September 2020.