From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) announced the appointment of Ms Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef as the new UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative.
This was contained in a statement signed by the UNICEF Communications Specialist Sussan Akila and made it available to the newsmen on Tuesday.
Wafaa with over 20 years of dedicated service in international humanitarian and development work, brings a wealth of experience and leadership to Nigeria’s efforts to improve the lives of children and communities across the country.
According to the statement, before her appointment, Wafaa served as the UNICEF Representative in Somalia, where she achieved significant successes in advancing children’s rights and well-being within a complex and challenging environment.
Her extensive career includes senior roles with the United Nations, notably with OCHA, UNICEF, and WFP, in diverse settings such as Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia. She has also held leadership positions at the global level with OCHA in New York and Geneva.
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Wafaa’s professional journey began in Sudan, where she worked with the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organisations on initiatives focused on displaced populations and environmental conservation. She holds a Master of Architecture from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, a Master of Science in Physical Planning from the University of Khartoum, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture.
The statement said, during her previous role as UNICEF Somalia representative, Wafaa demonstrated strong leadership in advancing the organisation’s mission amid complex humanitarian challenges.
Her expertise spans program management, coordination, and strategic planning in both humanitarian and development contexts.
“UNICEF Nigeria is confident that Wafaa’s extensive experience and uncompromising dedication will significantly contribute to Nigeria’s progress towards achieving the rights and well-being of every child.
“We warmly welcome her to the country and look forward to her leadership in this vital mission”.
About UNICEF Nigeria
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and young people.
The statement then concluded that, “over 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for all. UNICEF works in Nigeria to promote the rights and well-being of every child. Together with partners, we advocate for policies and programs that strengthen child protection, education, health, and nutrition”.
