UNICEF appoints Country Representative for Nigeria

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), announced the appointment of Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef as the new UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative.

This was contained in a statement signed by the UNICEF Communications Specialist Sussan Akila on Tuesday.

Wafaa, with over 20 years of dedicated service in international humanitarian and development work, brings a wealth of experience and leadership to Nigeria’s efforts to improve the lives of children and communities across the country.

According to the statement, prior to her appointment, Wafaa served as the UNICEF Representative in Somalia, where she achieved significant successes in advancing children’s rights and well-being within a complex and challenging environment.

Her extensive career includes senior roles with the United Nations, notably with OCHA, UNICEF, and WFP, in diverse settings such as Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia.

She also held leadership positions at the global level with OCHA in New York and Geneva.

Wafaa’s professional journey began in Sudan, where she worked with the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organisations on initiatives focused on displaced populations and environmental conservation.

She holds a Master of Architecture from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, a Master of Science in Physical Planning from the University of Khartoum, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture.

The statement said, during her previous role as UNICEF Somalia representative, Wafaa demonstrated strong leadership in advancing the organisation’s mission amid complex humanitarian challenges.