The United Nations (UN) has announced the appointment of Nigerian, Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander as its Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste.
The appointment was ratified by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the host Government’s approval.
According to a press statement seen by Nairametrics, Abosede Balogun-Alexander resumed her post on the 1st of December, 2022.
About Abosede Balogun: Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has more than 30 years of experience working on and leading humanitarian, peace and development projects at a senior level within the United Nations and international NGOs. Part of the statement by the UN described her thus:
- “Ms Balogun-Alexander served as Head, Humanitarian Normative and Coordination Action, UN Women, where she led UN Women’s global response to humanitarian crises and supported UN Women Country Offices to strengthen gender mainstreaming in UN-led Humanitarian Coordinated response in crisis-affected countries.
- “Before that, she worked as UN Women Country Representative to UN Women, Deputy Representative, UN Women Ethiopia, Director, External Relations and Advocacy, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region and Kenya Programme Manager for the UN Development Fund for Women.
- “Ms Balogun-Alexander led and supported multi-functional teams at the country level to be fit for purpose and to achieve impact and results, particularly on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
- “She led UN inter-agency coordination to coordinate joint assessments, develop and implement joint UN programmes, including gender-based violence, governance and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.”
More details: The UN added that she has also coordinated national support and government priorities for development and social policy funding, including co-creating and driving solutions on contentious issues of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and minority groups, to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving the SDGs.
She has a master’s degree in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
