…A Seasoned Leader with 26 Years of International Development Experience
António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, has designated Mr. Babatunde A. Ahonsi from Nigeria as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, following approval from the host Government.
With 26 years of international development experience both within and outside the UN, Mr. Ahonsi previously held the position of UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone.
In this role, he effectively coordinated and facilitated the UN’s operational activities for development, led the UN country team, and ensured system-wide accountability for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
His tenure also saw him spearheading the coordination of UN support for Sierra Leone’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the UN Secretary-General’s Prevention Agenda.
Before his Sierra Leone appointment, he served as the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in China and held the position of UNFPA Representative in China/Country Director for Mongolia from January 2017 to June 2020.
His previous roles include serving as UNFPA Representative in Ghana from 2014-2016. Between 1997 and 2014, he held senior management positions with the Ford Foundation (West Africa) and Population Council (Nigeria), overseeing reproductive health, women’s empowerment, and youth development programs. Additionally, he lectured at federal universities in Ilorin, Calabar, and Lagos, Nigeria, during the 1980s and 1990s.
Mr. Ahonsi’s academic achievements include a BSc (First Class Honors) degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and a Ph.D. in Population Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, England.
