Category: Leadership & Diplomacy

The United Nations (UN) Deputy General and Nigeria’s former Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina J Mohammed has been appointed as honorary member of the New York Academy of Sciences [2017].

The New York Academy of Sciences honors distinguished individuals through Honorary Memberships, and through the Academy Fellows program, which existed from 1976 through 2006. These awards are highly regarded in the international science community and reflect the Academy’s commitment to excellence, its heritage, and serving its worldwide Membership.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick has been appointed president of AFCON – Africa Cup of Nations, and Media Committees of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Amaju Pinnick’s appointment was made at the first Executive Committee meeting of the CAF, which took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Manama, Bahrain.

Nigeria has been re-elected by acclamation, for the 45th time, to chair the United Nations, UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, widely regarded as UN’s most strategic committee.

Nigeria has chaired the UN special committee on peacekeeping operations from 1972 till date.

Nigeria is the 14th largest troops contributing nation to UN Peacekeeping operations and eighth in Africa, according to the last data published by the UN Peacekeeping Department.

The data showed that Nigeria contributed 2,170 peacekeeping personnel in 2016, made up of 403 policemen, 46 military experts and 1,721 troops, out of which 232 were females.

After the re-election, Nigeria introduced two new paragraphs for adoption into the 2017 report.

The first was on the impact of illicit financial flows on resource mobilization and sustainable development, with a call for a return of proceeds of such flows to their countries of origin.

The second took note of the Donald Kaberuka report on potions for funding AU peace support operations authorized by the Security Council.

The two texts were adopted alongside other major recommendations.

The UN Special Committee was established by General Assembly resolution 2006 (XIX) of Feb. 18, 1965, to conduct a comprehensive review of all issues relating to peacekeeping.

It is comprises 147 Member States, mostly past or current contributors to peacekeeping operations, while 14 other Member States, intergovernmental organizations and entities, including AU and Interpol are observers.

The Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has rated the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as the best public sector organisation in the country with a score above 90% to clinch the Platinum level award.

This is the outcome of a sequence of validation assessments in all essential areas of responsibility resulting in an overall quality of work that was found to be superior, exceptional and unique of all Federal public sector organisations in Nigeria.

In recognition of his expertise and pioneering role in professional background check in Nigeria and West Africa, Kola Olugbodi, managing director, Background Check International (BCI), has received a fellowship of the Institute of Information Management (IIM) in Africa.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who is also Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has emerged President of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC).

Prof. Lateef Sanni, has been re-elected for a second term as the President of the International Society For Tropical Root Crops, African Branch (ISTRC-AB) at the just concluded 13th triennial international symposium of the society in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
In a keenly contested election rounding off the one-week symposium, Prof. Lateef Sanni, who is the Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, emerged as the President, while Dr. Kiddo Mtunda was elected as the First Vice President.
Others elected were Dr. Pheneas Ntawuruhunga, Secretary; Dr Simon Eze, Assistant Secretary; Dr. Elizabeth Parkes, Treasurer; Dr. Richard Okechukwu, Editor- In-Chief; Dr. Godwin Asumugha, Associate Editor; and Dr. Bosola Oladeinde as Fund Raising Officer.
Other elected officers for another two years are Dr. Nzola Mahungu, Dr. Robert Asiedu, Chief Alfred Dixon, Dr. Peter Kulakow, all as Ex-Officio; while Dr. Kanayo Chukwuka, Kwame Ogero, Moita Nassy Laurentine Marielle and Vito Sandifolo got elected for Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Sanni promised that the team would redouble its efforts in uplifting the standard of the society in order to meet up with the set objectives.
He said the society has commenced capacity building for their early career scientists, especially on proposal writing and increased interactions among scientists from around the world working on all tropical root and tuber crops.