Ms. Muriel Mafico has assumed office as the new Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Nigeria, bringing with her decades of global development experience.
This was contained in a statement by UNFPA Communication Analyst, Adewole Ajao, on Wednesday in Abuja, announcing the commencement of Mafico’s tenure.
According to the statement, Mafico officially took up her role after presenting her letters of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, at a ceremony in Abuja.
“As Resident Representative, Mafico will provide leadership and vision for the UNFPA mandate, strengthening Nigeria’s efforts toward sustainable population management, reproductive health access, gender equity, and effective social protection systems nationwide,” the statement read.
Before her appointment, Mafico led UNFPA’s operations in Syria, a complex humanitarian context, where she focused on emergency reproductive health, prevention of gender-based violence, alliance building, and strengthening national midwifery networks.
A Zimbabwean national, Mafico has more than 30 years of experience in international development across the Arab States, Southern Africa, and the Eastern Caribbean regions.
She has spent over two decades within the UN system, leading programmes on population dynamics, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, youth empowerment, education, and inclusive social protection initiatives.
