37 job openings for young Nigerians in UN

There are 37 career openings for young Nigerians under the United Nations bureaucracy , according to UN deputy secretary-general , Amina Mohammed .
Amina disclosed this at a Cultural Night organised by Nigerians working at the United Nations Systems. She said the openings are available via the Junior Professional Officers ’ (JPO ) Programme , including internship for young graduates .
According to her , Nigeria has the opportunity to sponsor its youth for UN careers through the JPO . But Nigeria has not seized the opportunity in a long while , she noted.
JPO is a programme for the young people to come and grow their career at the UN and it has 37 positions for Nigeria – one for each of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory .<script type="text/javascript">
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The JPO programme provides young professionals with hands - on experience in multilateral technical co - operation , and is one of the best ways to gain entry level positions within the UN system .
JPOs are sponsored by their own government , which fund their placement in one of a range of UN organisations .
At the cultural night , Amina asked older Nigerians to pave the way for the youth by creating leadership opportunities for them .
She urged them to stop competing with the younger ones for employment opportunities .
“ Whenever there are opportunities , try and pave the way for the young ones ; you are getting old and we want to see the young ones in the system .
“ We need to give the youth the opportunity because if we don’ t give them the opportunities , they can easily fall victims of crimes, ” she said .
According to her , the Nigerian employees at the UN system are getting old and there is the need for the Nigerian youth to be allowed to come into the system .
“ Home really does need us ; there are leaders and we are trying with the professionals that we see in the United Nations .
“ The work we need to do is not just to the world but also to remember that at the root of all that , you are only as good as where you come from.
“ And it ’ s really important that we remember , with what we do here , what we can get back home , that we can encourage those at home , and inspire them .
“ It ’ s not just what we do for the world. Can’ t we take those expertise back home , Amina said , urging them to make the best use of every opportunity they got.
She condemned what she termed alarming gender- based violence in Nigeria , saying it has increased in dimensions that one could never imagine .
“ So when I look back home and I see that there are women that are coming back from Boko Haram captivity , they come back with a type of violence that many, for the rest of their lives , can’ t recover from .
“ But I also see that what is worse is the kind of violence that is visited upon the young girl. She is indoctrinated and convinced to tie a bomb around her and blow it off ; that ’ s violence against girls ; that ’ s violence against women.
“ But what I wanted to say was that as we look at the gender- based violence initiative that we put a spotlight on our own nation ; we all have a part to play .
“ I know we would spend some money in Nigeria on this initiative but we all have a part to play individually and collectively in trying to bring it to zero , ” she said .
Mohammed also lamented how girls were left behind in education, stressing that everyone needs to have an education – the boys and the girls .
“ The boys we didn ’ t educate are the same ones that kidnap the girls that we educated.
“ So education for everyone is exposure for everyone; it matters so much ; it really does give us the basis, the moral compass to help us navigate through life. ”
Nigeria ’ s Ambassador / Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN , Samson Itegboje , commended the Nigerians in the UN and particularly lauded the appointment of Mohammed as the UN Deputy Chief.
Itegboje said Nigeria was proud of Mohammed , describing her as an “ ultimate authority and a reference point when it comes to Sustainable Development Goals ’ issues ” .
The Nigerian envoy said : “ Nigeria is a great country ; we are a happy people , you can ’ t take that away from us ; we have gone through difficult times but we are happy that we have a government that is responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of dear people of Nigeria ” .
Col . Jolly Abu (rtd ), President, United Nations Staff Recreation Club Nigeria Association , said the cultural night was organised to showcase Nigeria ’ s culture .
According to him, the Nigerians in the UN are very proud of their culture adding, it is also for them to mingle , rekindle and renew their bonds .
“ The UN encourages that we should meet and foster unity among ourselves and also enjoy ourselves ; so that ’ s what we ’ re doing, ” Abu said .
Amb . Audu Kadiri , Ambassador / Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN Office and Other International Organisations in Geneva and Nicholas Ella, acting Consul- General in New York also attended the event . (NAN