International support is growing around the candidacy of Akasoba Zainab Duke-Abiola, mni, for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, with particular momentum across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Her candidacy has gained increased visibility through her engagement with the African Policy and Research Consortium (APRC), a pan-African policy and research network that operates in more than 20 African countries and connects scholars, policy leaders, research institutions, development practitioners, and international partners across Africa and beyond.
The wider support constituency surrounding her candidacy includes strategic and diplomatic backing associated with South Africa, Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Barbados, and Chile.
In addition, the APRC network has active engagement across Nigeria, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, South Africa, and other African countries, while its institutional and professional links also extend to the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.
Duke-Abiola brings a multidisciplinary professional background to the role. A British-trained lawyer and jurist, human rights advocate, cybersecurity strategist, migration and border expert, and Distinguished Member of the National Institute, she has worked across several areas directly relevant to the complex challenges facing the international community.
Her stated priorities include strengthening peace and preventive diplomacy, advancing sustainable development and the rule of law, protecting human dignity, and deepening cooperation between the Global North and Global South.
For her supporters, her candidacy represents more than a personal ambition: it is also seen as an opportunity to advance African representation in global institutions, strengthen women’s leadership at the highest levels of international diplomacy, and contribute to a more inclusive and effective multilateral system.
As the process for selecting the next Secretary-General of the United Nations develops, Akasoba Zainab Duke-Abiola, mni, is positioning herself as an African candidate with an increasingly international network of engagement and a platform centered on cooperation, peace, and inclusive global leadership.
