Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie

The new UNDP Resident Representative and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie presented her credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs today. Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie succeeds Ms. Hodan Haji-Mohamud who left Lesotho in September 2007 to the UNDP in New York.

Nigerian-born Eziakonwa-Onochie was educated in both Nigeria and the United States. She has extensive international experience, with specific focus on international development and humanitarian assistance. During her 12 years of work at the United Nations Secretariat, Eziakonwa-Onochie served in the Departments of Public Information, Peacekeeping Operations and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Her last assignment was with OCHA in New York, where she served as the Chief of the Africa Section, managing over 15 country operations in Africa.

Speaking about her role, Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie said that she looked forward to working with the Government and the people of Lesotho in addressing the development challenges facing this beautiful country. Highlighting the importance of the human dimension of development, she acknowledged the need to support the ongoing efforts by the Government and its local and international partners to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to work towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

She believes that the UN family in Lesotho is a strong and committed development partner. In her role as UN Resident Coordinator, she will advocate for UN interventions to continue to facilitate change in people’s lives and in communities. She will emphasize empowering people and communities to take charge of their own development in order to avoid dependency. “We need to develop clear criteria for assessing our efforts in order to ensure that we are reaching those who need us the most,” she adds.

Acknowledging achievements already made by the Government and her predecessors, the new Resident Coordinator stated that she will build on existing strategies and policy frameworks. “I am not interested in re-inventing the wheel, but rather to accelerate and strengthen our efforts on implementation,” she said.

Recognizing the value of the UN delivering as one, Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie said as Resident Coordinator, she will devote her time to ensuring the implementation of existing UN joint strategies and plans, as well as strengthening coordination mechanisms that will increase the efficiency and delivery of the UN’s joint programmes. Being a communication expert herself, Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie stressed the importance of information management as a crucial ingredient in executing development initiatives. “It is important for us to understand who’s doing what where, so that every gap is filled and we avoid duplication.”

Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie is also the UN Secretary-General’s Designated Official for Security in Lesotho. This involves ensuring the security of all UN staff in the country – a responsibility she says she will take very seriously.

The new RR/RC's academic background is in political science and international affairs, with a focus on economic and political development in Africa.

What lies at the heart of Ms. Eziakonwa-Onochie’s professionalism is her strong desire to create conditions that allow people to live in safety and dignity, and she hopes to be guided by this principle throughout her term of office in Lesotho.


For more information please contact:

Ms. ‘Mamosa Moteetee, Communication, UN Information Centre
Telephone: +266-22-313790; Cell phone: +266-58868932
E-mail: mamosa.ramakatane@undp.org