Stop competing with youth for UN jobs, Amina Mohammed tells old Nigerians

Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General and former Minister of Environment, has urged older Nigerians to stop competing with younger Nigerians for UN jobs.

NAN reports that Mohammed spoke at a cultural night organised by Nigerians working at the United Nations Systems in New York.

She said Nigerian employees in the UN system are getting older, pointing out the need to groom younger people by allowing them to fill available job openings.

“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,” Mohammed said.

“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 the older Nigerians in the UN system should think of bringing their expertise home rather than competing with young Nigerians for jobs in the UN.

“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?”

She said Nigeria has not been taking advantage of sponsoring its young people to gain experience under the Junior Professional Officers’ (JPO) Programme, which has 37 openings for Nigerians.

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.