By Muhammad Amaan
The new Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Nigeria, Ms. Muriel Mafico has assumed office.
This is contained in a statement released by UNFPA Communication Analyst, Adewole Ajao, on Wednesday in Abuja, announcing the beginning of Mafico’s tenure as she steps into leadership.
According to him, Ms. Mafico, who brings decades of global development experience to her new role, officially assumed duty following the presentation of her letters of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, in Abuja.
“As Resident Representative, she will provide leadership and vision for the UNFPA mandate, strengthening Nigeria’s efforts toward sustainable population management, reproductive health access, gender equity, and effective social protection systems nationwide.
“Before her appointment, Ms. Mafico led UNFPA’s work in Syria, a challenging humanitarian context, where she focused on emergency reproductive health, preventing gender-based violence, building alliances, and reinforcing national midwifery networks.
“A Zimbabwean national, Mafico holds a strong background in development management, with over 30 years’ experience in international development across the Arab States, Southern Africa, and the Eastern Caribbean regions.
“She has spent more than twenty years within the UN system, leading programmes in population dynamics, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, youth empowerment, education, and inclusive social protection initiatives worldwide.”
