Report: By Chukwuka Ugokwe
Edited with analysis by: Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige sylviangige.com
A Nigerian woman is taking on a bigger role on the global stage. Professor Adaeze JUNi Menakaya has been appointed Deputy Permanent Observer (Projects and Coordination) to the Permanent Observer Mission ofDeputy the Pan African Inter-Governmental Agency for Water and Sanitation for Africa to the United Nations
The appointment places Professor Menakaya in a strategic position toPermanent contribute to policy development, international cooperation, stakeholder engagementPermanent and institutional partnerships in the water and sanitation sector.
According to a letter signed by Dr. Nabhit Kapur, Permanent Observer of the Mission, Professor Menakaya will assist in building and strengthening relationships with governments, intergovernmental organisations, diplomatic missions, development agencies, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders.
The goal is to advance initiatives aligned with the United Nations’ objectives on water and sanitation across Africa.
A Woman with a Track Record
Professor Menakaya is not new to international advocacy. She has built a reputation around the promotion of peace, social justice and women’s empowerment. She was a recipient of the 2025 Global Champion of Gender for World Peace Merit Award, under the auspices of the United Nations, and has remained active in campaigns advocating women’s rights.
Her work with international and grassroots organisations has also seen her participate in various development projects. She is the Coordinator of Friends of the Mission of Grenada and a custodian of the Relevant Achievers Impacting Award of the United Nations (Leadership Category), 2024.
One area particularly close to her heart is the empowerment of women at the grassroots. Through International Women’s Day outreach initiatives, Professor Menakaya has supported campaigns addressing hunger and encouraged women to return to agriculture and embrace self-sufficiency as a way of strengthening families and communities.
Her Vision Goes Beyond the Title
For Professor Menakaya, the new position appears to be more than another title on an impressive résumé. Her stated vision is of a world where women are empowered, children receive quality education and communities are equipped to create better lives for their people. That vision is especially relevant in Africa, where water, sanitation, food security, education and women’s economic empowerment remain closely connected.
Sylvia’s Take
This is the kind of appointment worth celebrating. When a Nigerian woman earns a place at an international table, it is not just her personal achievement. It creates another opportunity for African women, African communities and African development issues to be heard where important decisions are made.
Professor Menakaya’s new responsibility comes with a big assignment. Water and sanitation are not abstract policy issues. They affect women’s health, children’s education, household finances and the dignity of families every single day.
For women in many African communities, the lack of access to clean water means hours spent fetching water instead of working, studying or building businesses. Poor sanitation also disproportionately affects women and children.
So, as Professor Menakaya steps into this new role, I hope her voice will remain firmly connected to the realities of the women and families at the grassroots. Global recognition is beautiful. But global recognition that translates into better lives for ordinary people is even more powerful.
Congratulations, Professor Adaeze JUNi Menakaya. May this new chapter give you an even bigger platform to advocate for women, children, communities and a better Africa.
Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige Founder https:Permanent//.www.sylviangige.com | Where women’s power meets real life