A Distinguished International Civil Servant, Her Excellency, Amb. Amina Jane Mohammed was born in Liverpool, England where she also obtained hertertiary education.
For about ten years, our Celebrant worked with an architectural design firm, Archcon Nigeria, in association with Norman & Dawbarn United Kingdom known as. She later established the Afri-Projects Consortium; serving as its Director from 1991 to 2001. A lot of her work was on the design of schools and hospitals in the country; even as she was focused on advocacy for increased access to education and other social services.
In the Nigerian public service, Amb. Amina Mohammed served as an Adviser to four successive
Presidents on Poverty, Public Sector Reform, and Sustainable Development.
As the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs], she coordinated the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project, from 2002 to 2005.
She was also charged with the management of Nigeria’s debt relief funds toward the achievement of the MDGs. This mandate included designing a Virtual Poverty Fund with innovative approaches to poverty reduction, budget co-ordination and monitoring.
Appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Environment in 2015, she directed the country’s efforts on climate a
ction and protection of the natural Master’s degree programme in environment. She also represented Development Practice at Columbia the country on the African Union University, USA. She has also served Reform Steering Committee, chaired on numerous global Advisory Boards, by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, including chairing the Advisory Board of UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on Education.
On the global stage, our Celebrant first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to the then Secretary-General, Amb. Ban Ki-Moon with the responsibility for post-2015 Development Planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs].
She returned to the United Nations System in early 2017 to take up her current position as the world body’s Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group. She is also a Member of the UN Inter-Agency Co-ordination Group on Anti-Microbial Resistance.
Active in the High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations since 2020, and in Africa Europe Foundation, Amb. Amina Mohammed’s involvement in other worthy causes include: Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, ActionAid, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, International Development Research Centre, International Gender Champions, Institute of Scientific & Technical Information of China, and World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders.
Our Celebrant is also the Founding Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Development Policy Solutions, and an Adjunct Professor for the Master’s degree programme in Environment and Development Practice at Columbia University, USA.
A recipient of several recognitions, including honorary Doctorate post-2015 Development Planning degrees, our Celebrant is a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger [GCON] – Nigeria’s second-highest national honour usually accorded to Vice-Presidents, Presidents of the Senate and Chief Justices of Nigeria.
Other honours include: Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic [OFR], Nigerian Women’s Hall of Fame, Ford Family Notre Dame Award for International Development & Solidarity, Diplomat of the Year, BBC 100 Women, and Global Citizen Prize World Leader.
There is also The Amina J. Mohammed Skills Acquisition Centre, located in Gombe State, built by the SDGs in partnership with the Government of that State to honour our Celebrant for her contributions to social, political & cultural development across boundaries.
Ladies & Gentlemen, it is an honour to invite Her Excellency, Ambassador Amina Jane Mohammed to receive the Hallmarks of Labour Role Model Award to Nigeria’s Outstanding International Icon.
Please, accept our Hearty Congratulations, Your Excellency!