The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, has appointed Mr Ronald Kayanja as the substantive Director of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria.
UNIC’s National Information Officer, Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, said in a statement that Kayanja’s appointment takes effect from April 1, 2015.
“The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald Kayanja of Uganda as the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Nigeria,’’ it said.
Kayanja, a native of Uganda, holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wales in United Kingdom and Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Makerere University in Uganda.
The statement said that Kayanja, until his new appointment, had worked in various capacities for the UN in Benin, Cote d’I voire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.
“Since November 2011, Kayanja has held the position of UNESCO Adviser for Communication and Information in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.
“Kayanja has supported capacity building of journalists, promotion of press freedom and safety of journalists, in addition to policy dialogue with member states on the use of community media.
“Most recently he led UNESCO’s response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the use of community media,’’ it said.
The statement added that he had also worked with the UN Mission, UN agencies, national authorities and the civil society on the mechanisms of strengthening media and civil society’s participation in democracy.
Kayanja is married with four children.
