Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani has accepted to serve on the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) following an invitation by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, António Guterres.
A statement released by the Ministry states that in the correspondence, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, António Guterres, expressed his confidence that the Honourable Minister will make a most valuable contribution to the work of UNITAR, an institution established within the framework of the UN for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the organisation in achieving its objectives.
In his reaction, Dr. Tijani expressed appreciation for the honour, while describing it as a win for Nigeria and an acknowledgement of the giant strides made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards promoting economic and social development.
In his words: “I am honoured to be invited by the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, to serve on the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), an autonomous institution established within the framework of the United Nations for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the Organisation in achieving its major objectives.”
Dr. Tijani further stated: “My invitation to serve on the UNITAR Board is a win for Nigeria, and an acknowledgement of the giant strides made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards promoting economic and social development. Particularly, it is a validation of our efforts and achievements in building capacity and bridging the technology skills gap through our initiatives including the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT), the largest talent accelerator in the world.”
Dr. Tijani joins nine other Board members, headed by Ecuadorian diplomat, His Excellency Mr. Luis Gallegos.
Established in 1963, following the recommendation of the UN Economic and Social Council to the General Assembly, which commissioned the UN Secretary-General with the establishment of a United Nations Institute for Training and Research as an autonomous body within the UN system, UNITAR provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organisations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future.
The Institute is guided by a four-year strategic framework which articulates the Institute’s vision, mission, core values and strategic objectives and enablers. The framework outlines the direction that UNITAR will take and serves as the foundation for planning and budgeting, mobilising resources, crafting partnerships, delivering results and measuring and evaluating performance.
A dedicated training arm of the United Nations system, UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations.
The Institute which records close to 133,420 participants per year is Headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland) with offices in New York City (US), Hiroshima (Japan), and Bonn (Germany); project offices in Port Harcourt (Nigeria), and Juba (South Sudan); and UNITAR-UNOSAT Centres in Bangkok (Thailand), and Nairobi (Kenya).
