President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, October 26, 2024, congratulated Shirley Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, on her election as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
On Friday, October 25, 2024, leaders of the 56 Commonwealth nations meeting in Apia, Samoa, elected Botchwey, the 61-year-old former lawmaker, who had served as Ghana’s foreign minister for the last seven years, as the seventh Secretary-General.
She will assume office on April 1, 2025.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said in a statement that Botchwey had the backing of Nigeria for the top commonwealth job.
Ms Botchwey is the second African to be elected secretary-general of the Commonwealth in its 75-year history, after Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria, who served in that position from July 1, 1990, to March 31, 2000.
According to Mr Onanuga, the Nigerian leader believes that Ms Botchwey’s extensive career in public administration, foreign affairs and regional development makes her a perfect fit for the job.
“He (Tinubu) trusts that Botchwey’s leadership experience will bring renewed energy to the Commonwealth’s efforts to advance meaningful economic and political partnerships that will drive development and amplify the bloc’s voice in global affairs.
“President Tinubu looks forward to working with the incoming Secretary-General to advance the Commonwealth’s vision of fostering peace, equity and prosperity for all member nations,” he said.
The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to championing a Commonwealth that prioritised the strengthening of intra-commonwealth trade, African exports, and a unified presence at the United Nations that supported an African bid for a permanent representation at the Security Council.
The President thanked the outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, for her years of leadership and wished her the best in her future endeavours.
