President says Amina Mohammed remains minister till 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the newly appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed will continue in her capacity as the Minister of Environment till March 2017.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari who expressed happiness at the appointment said Nigeria has been honoured.

“By her appointment, Nigeria has been honoured,” the President was quoted as saying.

“It is expected that the Minister of Environment will be transitioning to her new role in March 2017.

“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.” the statement said.

Mohammed, served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.

She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

Before joining the UN, Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals.

She provided advice on issues, including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, as well as coordinating poverty reduction interventions.

She is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University, and serves on numerous international advisory boards and panels, including the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Others include the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, and the Global Development Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

She is also a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Sustainability Panel, the African Women’s Millennium Initiative, Girl Effect and the ActionAid International Right to Education Project.

Born in 1961, and educated in Nigeria and the UK, Mohammed is married and has six children.