Buhari applauds Amina Mohammed’s choice as UN Deputy Secretary-General

President Muhammadu Buhari welcomes the appointment of the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, to join the next United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his deputy.

Speaking with the in-coming Secretary- General, Mr. Guterres, who called to inform President Buhari of his decision to name Mrs. Mohammed as the Deputy Secretary-General Thursday evening, the president used the opportunity to reiterate his support and congratulations to Mr. Guterres on his upcoming tenure in the service.

He endorsed the “excellent” selection of Mrs. Mohammed.

“By her appointment, Nigeria has been honoured,” said the president.

President Buhari thanked Mrs. Mohammed for her untiring contribution to transform Nigeria and said he looked forward to sustained collaboration between the UN and Nigeria.

He said he had no doubt that she will continue to make Nigeria proud at the global level.

“It is expected that the Minister of Environment will be transitioning to her new role in March 2017,” a statement by the president’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, said.

“In the meantime, it is expected that she will continue to lay strong foundations with various important ongoing initiatives critical to the government’s success in the Environment sector.

These include, but not limited to implementation of our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement, the successful launch of the Sovereign Green Bonds in 2017, the ongoing Ogoni cleanup and development of the Great Green Wall.”