UNIDO appoints Bakole as representative to ECOWAS, Regional Director, Nigeria

A Congolese, Jean Bakole, has assumed office as the new United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director, Nigeria Regional Office Hub .

This follows his appointment to the new position by UNIDO Director General, LI Yong. Until Bakole’s new appointment , he has worked in similar capacity as the UNIDO Representative to the African Union and Director UNIDO Regional Office in Ethiopia for four years where he was in charge of UNIDO programmes and projects in Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

In his new position as UNIDO Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director, Nigeria Regional Office Hub, Bakole will play a broader role of overseeing UNIDO activities, programmes and projects in eight countries under the Nigeria Regional Office Hub, namely : Democratic Republic of Congo; Niger Republic; Mali; Benin Republic; Guinea; Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Speaking on his appointment and new position, Bakole said, “As an African, who have equally worked in a similar capacity before as the UNIDO Representative to the African Union and Regional Director to Ethiopia for many years, I am excited to be here in Nigeria .

“Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa, as well as the most populous country in Africa. These present bigger opportunities for UNIDO to make greater impact in terms of supporting Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID)”, he said.