United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has said she intends to return to Nigeria after completing her tenure at the global body, stressing that she has no interest in seeking political office.
Mohammed made this known during an exclusive interview with ARISE News on Monday while discussing her plans for life after the United Nations.
Asked whether she would consider contesting for political office after leaving the UN, Mohammed gave a straightforward response.“No, it doesn’t.”
The UN deputy chief said her 10 years at the organisation had provided valuable networks, international visibility and opportunities that she hopes to put to use after returning home.
According to her, her post-UN plans will focus on contributing to Nigeria and the wider African continent rather than pursuing electoral politics.
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“I’m coming home, and I’m very happy to do that. Ten years here, I think, has been a privilege. It has created networks, it has created a visibility for women and for my country and for the continent, and I want to use that to go back home, both to Nigeria, and Nigeria is a pretty big country, and it’s a leader in Africa, and so to say that Africa, Nigeria is where I sit, but Africa is my oyster, and I’d like to think that that’s what I could go back and contribute to it.”
Mohammed acknowledged that returning to Nigeria after a decade at the United Nations could come with its own challenges, but said she remained convinced that going home was the appropriate decision.
“It’s never easy, but it is the right thing to do. And so, yes, that’s what I hope I do.”
Her remarks put to rest speculation that she could seek elective office after her UN tenure, with Mohammed instead indicating that she intends to draw on her international experience and networks to contribute to Nigeria and Africa outside electoral politics.