United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed says she plans to return to Nigeria after completing her tenure at the UN but has no interest in seeking political office.
Mohammed made this known during an interview with Arise News on Monday.
Asked whether she would consider returning to public service or contesting for political office after leaving the UN, she replied, “No.”
She said her 10 years at the UN had provided her with valuable networks and visibility, which she intends to use to contribute to Nigeria and Africa.
“I’m coming home, and I’m very happy to do that,” she said, describing her decade at the UN as a privilege.
Mohammed also spoke about the challenges women face in balancing careers and family responsibilities, urging women to make use of available support systems.
She said women had made progress but were still struggling for greater representation in leadership, workplace equality, women’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence.
Mohammed became UN Deputy Secretary-General in February 2017 after joining the organisation in 2012 as a special adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning.
She played a key role in the development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Before joining the UN, Mohammed served as Nigeria’s Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2017 and previously worked as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals.
Her tenure as Deputy Secretary-General is expected to end on December 31, alongside that of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
