Champion Permanent Seat For Africa At UN Security Council, Tinubu Charges Botchway

By Ayodele Oni

President Bola Tinubu has extended a hand of fellowship to Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the newly elected Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

Botchwey is Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration,  Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

On Friday, Leaders of the 56 Commonwealth nations meeting in Apia, Samoa, elected Botchwey, a 61-year-old former lawmaker who has served as Ghana’s Foreign Minister for the last seven years, as the 7th Secretary-General.

She is expected to assume office on April 1, 2025.

Botchwey is the second African to be elected secretary-general of the Commonwealth in its 75-year history, after Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria, who served in that position from July  1990 to 2000.

She had the backing of Nigeria for the top commonwealth job.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga in a statement, stated that the Nigerian leader believes that Botchey’s extensive career in public administration, foreign affairs and regional development makes her a perfect fit for the job.

He trusts that Botchey’s leadership experience will bring renewed energy to the Commonwealth’s efforts to advance meaningful economic and political partnerships that drive development and amplify the bloc’s voice in global affairs.

President Tinubu said he 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.

The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to championing a Commonwealth that prioritizes strengthening intra-commonwealth trade, African exports, and a unified presence at the United Nations that supports an African bid for a permanent representation at the Security Council.