The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Nigerian diplomat Ozonnia Ojielo as the new UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia. The appointment, made with the approval of the Ethiopian government, took effect on March 14, according to the UN. ALSO READ: Rwanda, UN ink new cooperation framework to accelerate inclusive development Ojielo has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable development, governance, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. His work has spanned four continents. #UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres has appointed @ozonnia to lead the @UNEthiopia team. We look forward to his continued leadership in advancing #Ethiopia’s national priorities, the #GlobalGoals, and ensuring that we #LeaveNoOneBehind. https://t.co/jVvlNzi92y pic.twitter.com/Ufrxl3vtIO — UN Ethiopia (@UNEthiopia) March 16, 2026 Ojielo served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda since 2022. He had previously served as UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan. ALSO READ: Rwanda, UN unveil Rwf1.43 trillion five-year cooperation strategy In May 2025, Ojielo represented the UN in the signing of a Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2025–2029) between Rwanda and the UN. The framework outlines collaboration to support Rwanda’s development priorities under the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and Vision 2050. With the framework, the UN committed to mobilizing about $1.04 billion over five years to support programmes in inclusive economic growth, human capital development, governance, climate resilience and innovation. The UN has yet to announce the new Resident Coordinator to Rwanda. Reacting to Ojielo's new appointment, Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said that Ethiopia is privileged to receive Ozonnia describing him as a “committed servant of the United Nations.” Thank you so much my dear brother. It was a rare privilege and an honor to have served in the land of a thousand hills. I am deeply grateful for the support from the Government and national partners. As Ntwali, I am bringing the Rwandan spirit to the Land of Origins. https://t.co/mtwqL0AfKe — Ozonnia Ojielo (@ozonnia) March 17, 2026 “He did an excellent job in Rwanda, as UN Resident Coordinator, and will certainly do much more in our sisterly country of Ethiopia,” Nduhungirehe wrote on X on Monday. Ojielo thanked Nduhungirehe for the congratulations. It was a rare privilege and an honor to have served in the land of a thousand hills, he wrote in a post on X. I am deeply grateful for the support from the Government and national partners. As Ntwali, I am bringing the Rwandan spirit to the Land of Origins. Ojielo also held several senior roles within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), including Director for Conflict Prevention and Recovery at the organisation’s headquarters in New York and Cluster Director for Governance and Peacebuilding at the Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa. Beyond the UN system, Ojielo has worked as an attorney, university lecturer and journalist. He has also advised truth, justice and reconciliation commissions as well as national human rights institutions in several African countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia and Sierra Leone. Ojielo holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Ibadan in Nigeria, along with multiple master’s and bachelor’s degrees in strategic management, history and law.
