President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to Hon. Shirley Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, on her recent election as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The election took place on Friday during a meeting of leaders from the 56 Commonwealth nations in Apia, Samoa.
Botchwey, a former lawmaker who has served as Ghana’s foreign minister for the past seven years, will assume her role as the 7th Secretary-General on April 1, 2025. She is notable for being the second African to hold this position in the Commonwealth’s 75-year history, following Nigeria’s Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who served from July 1, 1990, to March 31, 2000.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, stated that President Tinubu believes Botchwey’s extensive background in public administration, foreign affairs, and regional development makes her well-suited for this vital role. Tinubu expressed confidence that her leadership would reinvigorate the Commonwealth’s initiatives aimed at fostering significant economic and political partnerships among member nations.
Moreover, President Tinubu reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to a Commonwealth that enhances intra-Commonwealth trade, boosts African exports, and supports a unified stance at the United Nations for an African bid for permanent representation on the Security Council.
In conclusion, the President thanked the outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, for her years of service and leadership, wishing her success in her future endeavors