Ahunna Eziakonwa

Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa is UNDP Assistant Administrator, Assistant Secretary General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa – the institution’s largest – with a staff corps of over 5000 working in 46 Sub – Saharan African countries with an annual $1.2 billion budget. Her passion for preserving the dignity of Africa defines her leadership approach which focuses on equality, inclusion, reshaping narratives on Africa, and mobilizing for young entrepreneurs. Her vision is contained in “Africa’s Promise: The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa.” It employs an opportunity lens to development practice – investing in accelerators and foundational enablers that unlock opportunity across Africa. 

She established the Africa Influencers for Development (AI4D) as a private sector engagement platform galvanizing initiatives to ensure that Africa’s Money works for Africa’s Development; the Africa Young Women Leaders Initiative;  Africa Innovates Magazine; and the Africa Borderlands Centre. She (Co) Chairs the UN Regional Collaborative Platform providing strategic leadership on implementation of the UN Secretary General’s reforms in Africa. Ms. Eziakonwa spent 10 years as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho and as Chief (Africa) at UN OCHA, led response to natural disasters, emergencies and transitions to recovery. Before the UN, Ms. Eziakonwa worked for “Initiatives of Change” serving as international coordinator of its’ “Creators of Peace – Women’s Initiative”.  She is an alumni of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme and has a Bachelors in Education from University of Benin Nigeria.