President Kagame bids farewell to outgoing UN resident coordinator Ojielo

In his remarks, Ojielo expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Rwandan government for its support throughout his four-year tenure.

“My deepest gratitude to His Excellency President Kagame and the Government of Rwanda for four years of outstanding collaboration between the Government and the UN Country Team. Anyone who serves in Rwanda retains a bit of the country for the rest of their lives. Thank you, Rwanda,” he said in a post on X.

Ojielo, a Nigerian national, was appointed UN Resident Coordinator to Rwanda in July 2022 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, succeeding Fodé Ndiaye, who held the position from 2017.

With nearly three decades of experience in sustainable development, Ojielo has served with the UN across Africa and Central Asia. His previous roles include serving as UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan and representing UN development and population agencies (UNDP and UNFPA) in the same country. He has also worked in the United States, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana.

Before joining the UN, Ojielo held positions as a university lecturer, journalist, and prosecutor in multiple countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, as well as multiple master’s and undergraduate degrees in Finance, History, and Law.

The UN has been a longstanding partner of Rwanda, particularly since 2007 when the country joined the eight-country joint UN programs. Over the years, the UN has supported Rwanda’s planning and development initiatives, including the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) phases I and II, and the Accelerated Development programs under NST2.

At the end of 2024, the UN announced plans to invest approximately $1 billion over the next five years to support NST2 activities. These funds will be channeled through UN agencies and focus on key areas such as food security, job creation, economic development, technology and energy, and environmental protection.