Yusuff, 4 Others Named UNGA Humanitarian, Goodwill Ambassadors

Five Nigerians have been conferred with honorary designations as Ambassadors of Humanitarian Affairs and Goodwill Ambassadors at a high-level global executive roundtable held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The honourees include the Director-General of the Civil Society Organizations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI), Kunle Yusuff, who was named an Ambassador of Goodwill.

The investiture took place on September 18, 2026, at Conference Room 11 of the United Nations Headquarters, New York.

Other honourees are David Luftglass, Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Assets Holdings Corporation, USA, who was also named Ambassador of Goodwill; Dr Judith Ogbara, Chief Executive Officer of Rosem Energy Ltd and Chairperson of AAE Foundation, Nigeria, who was named Ambassador for Humanitarian Affairs; Dahiru Biu, who was named Ambassador of Goodwill; and Duke Kelvin Iyke Asogwa, who was named Ambassador for Humanitarian Affairs.

The event was organised by the Global Organisation for Sustainable Development Goals (GOFSDGs), an organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in partnership with CSCHEI and in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

According to the organisers, the conferment followed due diligence and assessment of the honourees’ track records, integrity and contributions to humanitarian advancement.

They said the selections were based on demonstrated leadership in humanitarian principles, community-driven development and inclusive social protection, as well as contributions to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals.

The organisers also cited the honourees’ capacity to mobilise multi-stakeholder partnerships and resources for vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, alongside their contributions to Nigeria’s engagement in the multilateral system.

The High-Level Global Executive Roundtable was convened to bridge the gap between development commitments and capital and to unlock innovative financing for sustainable development.

Its objectives included strengthening collaboration among governments, UN agencies, donor agencies, development finance institutions, development partners, global executives and impact investors.

The roundtable also sought to showcase investment-ready sustainable development projects from Nigeria and other emerging economies for co-financing and technical support.

At the conclusion of the event, participants adopted resolutions to operationalise the Global Partnership Network Support System (GPNSS) as a platform for facilitating private sector access to sustainable, blended and concessional financing for humanitarian and development initiatives.

They also resolved to establish a structured follow-up, capacity-building and impact-tracking mechanism anchored by UNITAR and other relevant organisations.

The newly decorated ambassadors were mandated to serve as focal champions and goodwill envoys for resource mobilisation, high-level advocacy and the localisation of humanitarian interventions in line with UN standards and humanitarian principles.

The organising committee urged the new ambassadors to uphold the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, while promoting accountability, sustainability and the principle of leaving no one behind.