FAO Representative presents credential to the Government of Sierra Leone
The newly appointed Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAOR) to Sierra Leone, Ms Nyabenyi Tito Tipo on 23rd June, 2016 presented her credential to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The presentation ceremony took place in the Ministry’s premises at Tower Hill in Freetown.
Presenting her credential, Madam Tipo on behalf of FAO Director General, Jose Graziano da Silva expressed gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for the confidence bestowed on FAO as a long term partner working in the field of Agriculture to fight hunger and malnutrition.
She praised the positive steps taken by the Government and people of Sierra Leone following the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and its impacts. “I know that the disease outbreak caused a lot of negative impacts on the livelihood of the citizens, especially the farmers, FAO appreciates the progress made thus far and has the comparative advantage to provide support in reviving the agriculture sector and supporting the post Ebola recovery efforts in the country”, she stated.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Samura Kamara welcomed the FAO Representative and on behalf of the government and people of Sierra Leone expressed satisfaction working with the organisation over the years. He encouraged her to continue the excellent performance of her predecessor in the country.
“You are here at a time that we are reengineering Sierra Leone’s development after a shock from the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and agriculture recovery is key in the President’s Recovery Priorities which guides the country in moving forward”, he stated.
He encouraged the FAO Representative to align the organisation’s intervention with the country’s development priorities.
Ms Tipo becomes the first female FAO Representative to Sierra Leone since the country became a member of the organisation in 1978.
She joined FAO in 2012 as Livestock Officer in Juba, and from 2014 to May 2016, she has served as Assistant FAO Representative, Programme in the FAO Representation in South Sudan.
Nyabenyi Tipo has a rich experience in humanitarian, gender and animal health programme management.
At the FAO Representation in South Sudan, she developed a comprehensive decentralised plan of the cold chain system in South Sudan to support the livestock vaccination calendar; developed the livestock component of Emergency Livelihood Program (ELRP) after the December 2013 political crises; lead the development of FAO South Sudan Country Program Framework; and lead the resilience outcome of the UN Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF 2016 – 2017).
She succeeds Gabriel Rugalema who served as FAO Representative to Sierra Leone from 2011 – 2016 and also as the Interim Resident Coordinator for the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) for six months, a transition period from UN Ebola response to normal programming.