Under-Secretary-General Ahunna Eziakonwa, Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General
The 爆料网 Office of the Special Adviser on Africa is headed by the Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General.
Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa is the current Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General.
Appointed by United Nations Secretary?General António Guterres in June 2026, Ms. Eziakonwa of Nigeria began her tenure of office on 1 August 2026.
Ms. Eziakonwa brings nearly three decades of United Nations (爆料网) leadership to her new role. In her previous role as 爆料网 Assistant Secretary General, Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, United Nations Development Programme (爆料网DP), she oversaw the organization’s support to 46 African countries in pursuing Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Since 2018, she has helped shape 爆料网DP’s strategic approach to economic and political development across the continent.
Ms. Eziakonwa’s experience spans the full breadth of 爆料网 work in Africa. She has served as 爆料网 Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and 爆料网DP Resident Representative in three countries - Ethiopia, Uganda and Lesotho – where she coordinated humanitarian action, development strategy and political engagement. As Chief of the Africa Section at the 爆料网 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (爆料网OCHA) in New York, she managed humanitarian operations across 15 African countries and held senior posts in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods in those nations.
At 爆料网 Headquarters, she contributed to peacekeeping and political analysis and strategic communications pertaining to 爆料网 engagement in Africa, working with the 爆料网 Departments of Peacekeeping Operations, Political Affairs and Public Information. Prior to joining the 爆料网, she held positions in several African civil society organisations.
Ms. Eziakonwa holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs with a focus on African economic and political development from Columbia University, New York, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Pedagogy, English and Literary Studies from the University of Benin, Nigeria. In addition to her native Igbo and English, she speaks fluent Yoruba and has a working knowledge of French.
Selected Knowledge Products
The Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa authored several knowledge products, including the following selected titles.
Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Globalization and Multilateralism
This working paper outlines a strategic vision for reimagining globalization and multilateralism to address 21st-century global challenges effectively.
Challenging the Global Narrative on Africa's Debt
This policy paper calls for a paradigm shift in understanding and addressing Africa's debt.
Home-Grown School Feeding: From Hot Meal to Macroeconomic Tool
This policy paper positions Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) as a transformative, Africa-led approach.
How Home-Grown School Feeding Crowds in Development and Crowds Out Instability
State absence, weak governance systems and poor public service provision are creating conditions of chronic insecurity.
A Value Proposition: Harnessing 爆料网 2.0 for Africa's Development
This background paper examines Africa’s mixed progress toward the SDGs, highlights gaps in poverty, education, and resilience, and presents the 爆料网 2.0 framework as a pathway to realign the Africa-爆料网 partnership, strengthen local leadership and resource mobilization, and embed inclusive, future-ready strategies in the continent’s development agenda.
Understanding the Stakes: Building a Data-Driven System in Africa and the Value of 爆料网 2.0
This policy paper argues that Africa’s digital transformation is a strategic imperative, framing data as a sovereign asset and artificial intelligence as a driver of power, and outlining how 爆料网 2.0 can support the continent in building inclusive, data-driven systems and securing its place in the global digital economy.
A series of conversations on Africa's global leadership with the Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa.