BULUS ZOM LOLO
State: Kaduna
Local Government: Jaba
Date of birth: October 9 1957
Languages: English, French
Marital Status: Married with children
COMPETENCIES
Leadership- I have the ability to lead and inspire others. I was appointed by the President of the
United Nations General Assembly in April 2006, and accepted by all 192 Member States , as
Facilitator for the negotiation of the draft resolution on the development component of the 2005
World Summit Outcome. My contribution, which paved way for the adoption of resolution
A/Res/60/265, was acknowledged and commended by the President of the General Assembly and others at the formal adoption of the resolution in June 2006. I Chaired the Drafting
Committee of the 23 rd
Session of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing
Council (UNEP) in Nairobi in 2005, where, the biennium budget, key aspects of international environmental governance and basic principles on Water Policy were agreed . The then Executive
Director of UNEP, Mr . Klaus Topffer, commended my efforts in plenary session and subsequently by letter. I chaired and coordinated the African Group of Economic Experts at the
United Nations, New York, comprising 54 countries in 2004. As chairman of the Group, I articulated and defended the position of Africa in UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), UN General Assembly
Second Committee and other fora.
As Vice Chairman of CSD in 2004, I chaired the review sessions on human settlements , which identified constraints, gaps, challenges and opportunities for the achievement of the MDGs. The review made recommendations, which were subsequently adopted as policies at the 13 th
session of CSD.
My ability to negotiate with tact, make critical decisions and reach compromises has been well tested at negotiations on UNEP High Level Working Group on Technology Support and
Capacity Building (Nairobi and Bali - 2004), ECOSOC Ad Hoc Groups on Guinea Bissau and
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Burundi, as well as Second Committee resolutions on United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification UNCCD, UN Habitat and UNITAR. I served as principal adviser to the
Chairman of the Second Committee during the 60 th
Session of the United Nations General
Assembly.
Vision - I can easily identify and articulate core issues, assess opportunities and risks including strengths and weaknesses; and relate these to given goals and objectives. In 2002, at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, I was able to convince OPEC countries to accept voluntary regional targets on renewable energy rather than block the idea and jeopardize the delicate negotiations. As Chairman of the African Group in 2004, I ensured that
Africa was given special attention in the United Nations Commission for Sustainable
Development (CSD), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.
Communication - I am very strong in oral and written communication. I can relate easily at both interpersonal and other levels. The ease with which I use language enables me to put my views across clearly and convincingly. My excellent communication has been commended within international inter-governmental circles, where I have either chaired or facilitated negotiations such as on development, United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification
(UNCCD), UNEP and UN-Habitat . All of these have taken place within multicultural and multiracial environments. My ability to persuade people with varying views and present different perspectives on issues in a persuasive, concise and clear way is beyond doubt .
SKILLS
I have excellent negotiating skills at bilateral and multilateral levels; I helped to improve and expand commercial relation between Nigeria and Ireland from 1992 to 1998 when I was head of the Commercial section of the Embassy of Nigeria in Dublin. Exports between both countries rose from US$ 10 million to US$45 million. In September 200 1, I was member of the Nigerian team that negotiated with the Governments of Chad and Niger for the revamping of the Lake
Chad Basin Commission.
My strong mediation and networking skills came through during the negotiation of the First
Freetown Peace Agreement on the Liberian crisis by the ECOWAS Mediation Committee in1990. The negotiation led to the establishment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group
(ECOMOG), whose intervention played a key role in restoring peace to Liberia.
Teamwork - I am a good consensus builder and firm believer in team spirit . I was main adviser to the Permanent Representative of Nigeria during his chairmanship of the Second Committee at the sixtieth session of the UN General A ss embly. I worked effectively and efficiently with members of the bureau and Secretariat of CSD-12. Our bureau set the tone, as the first bureau to
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guide CSD in the implementation of its two-year Review and Policy Cycles. I have the skills to establish and maintain excellent and effective working relations in diverse settings, as I have ably demonstrated among Member States of the United Nations. I can work both as a team member and team leader.
Managing Performance – As Director of Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, I supervised and coordinated the work of five Divisions with 110 staff, comprising professional and non-professional officers. Under my leadership, my department held three retreats, prepared a presentation that was made to the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria, as well as other policy papers on foreign policy. I planned and supervised the induction course for newly appointed
Ambassadors at the Obudu Ranch in February 2008. In my capacity as leader of three Nigerian diplomats working on the Second Committee, I proved my ability to identify and establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor the work of others. Our team was active in the negotiations on the resolutions of Corrupt Practices and the Return of Illicit Assets to their
Countries of Origin, which Nigeria introduced, as well as the adoption of the United Convention against Corruption.I do delegate appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority to others as situations warrant. I have the ability to mentor staff, inspire and provide guidance and support colleagues and staff working with me. Based on my recommendation, the
Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York adopted a policy in 2004 that allowed volunteer interns to work with the Mission. I supervised the work of the first four interns that were taken in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Professionalism - I have spent more than thirty three years in the diplomatic service. I have shown my sound political analytical skills, managerial, supervisory and leadership skills. I am very tactful, sound in judgment and discretion. I am proactive in developing strategies and options to accomplish objectives. At different times, I have demonstrated my ability to provide effective advice on a broad range of issues, as desk officer at Headquarters and Missions abroad,
Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Personal Assistant to the Permanent
Secretary. My managerial skills were proven when I was in charge of administration and finance during my diplomatic tours of Cotonou, Benin Republic and Dublin, Ireland and the multilateral level in New York.
In January 2011, I was privileged to be appointed Ambassador and subsequently posted to the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of
Djibouti. I was also Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) and the United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
· Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, April 2015 (present)
· Permanent Secretary (Career Management Office), Office of the Head of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, October 2014 – April 2015.
· Ambassador of Nigeria - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
Republic of Djibouti; Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the African Union;
Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa –
July 2011 – October 2014.
Political Coordinator, Nigeria’s Delegation to the United Nations Security Council,
Permanent Mission of Nigeria, New York, January 2010 – April 2011
I was responsible for coordinating Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations Security Council. I served as lead negotiator and strategist for Nigeria in the Security Council. I initiated and also vetted statements and reports prepared by officers of the Nigerian delegation.
Director (First United Nations Division) April 2008 – December 2009
I was in charge of the United Nations Security Council and international political issues. I coordinated the campaign for Nigeria’s election as Non-Permanent member of the Security
Council. I supervised officers working on international political issues.
Director, Planning, Research and Statistics Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Abuja, May 2007 – April 2008
Head of Department with five (5) Divisions reporting to me. I supervised 110 staff. My department was the arrowhead for the implementation of the 2007 reforms undertaken to reengineer and reposition the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as vehicle for the achievement of
Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives. As Head of Department, I initiated and advised on policy and planning matters, coordinated research and managed communications among others.
Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, New York, March 2002
– March 2007
Coordinated and led Nigeria’s team of three officers on the Second Committee;
Responsible for finance, trade, and sustainable development, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNCBD,
UNCCD, NEPAD, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups on African Countries Emerging from Conflict; and systemic issues on international trade and finance.
Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, July 1999 – March 2001
I analyzed reports for the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
Prepared briefs and speaking notes for the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
Prepared drafted statements for the Minister;
Coordinated staff in the Minister’s Office
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Counsellor, Embassy of Nigeria, Dublin, Ireland, April 1992 – March 1998
Responsible for economic and commercial relations;
Officer responsible for administration and control of Embassy’s expenditure;
Represented the Embassy at seminars, conferences and other functions.
Personal Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, October 1988 – April 1992
Analyzed reports for the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Prepared briefs and notes for the Permanent Secretary;
Prepared drafts for the Permanent Secretary’s official correspondence;
Coordinated staff in the Permanent Secretary’s Office.
August 5, 1981
Joined the Nigerian Foreign Service as Foreign Affairs Officer (Third Secretary)
Major Achievements
· Facilitator, General Assembly Resolution A/Res/60/265 on development component of the 2005 World Summit Outcome;
· Chairman, Drafting Committee of the 23 rd
Session of the UNEP Governing
Council/Global Environment Ministerial Forum, Nairobi, February 2005;
· Vice-Chairman, United Nations Commissions for Sustainable Development, 2004.
Chaired Review Sessions of CSD-12 on Human Settlements;
· G-77 Negotiator on second and third (final) phase of the High Level Inter-Governmental
Working Group for Technology Support and Capacity Building (Bali Strategic Plan for
Technology Support and Capacity Building (Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building), September 2004, Nairobi, November/December 2004, Bali;
· Facilitator, Second Committee resolution on United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification, 2005, 2004, 2003;
· G-77 Negotiator on ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Groups on Guinea Bissau and Burundi,
2004/2005;
· Chairman/Coordinator, African group of Economic Experts, responsible for the coordination of the position of the 54 African Countries at the UN, February 2004 –
February 2005;
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· G-77 Negotiator on NEPAD, 59 UNGA 2004;
· Facilitator, Second Committee resolution on United Nations Convention to combat
Desertification, 59 UNGA (2004), 58 UNGA 2003;
· Facilitator, Second Committee resolution on Human Settlements, 57 UNGA (2002);
·
Member, Nigeria’s delegation to WSSD, Johannesburg, August/September 2002;
· Member, Nigeria’s delegation to the ECOWAS Mediation Committee on Liberia
Meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 1990.
EDUCATION
· M. Phil (Peace Studies) Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, 1995
· B.SC. (Pol. Science) Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, 1980
Contact Address
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Tafawa Balewa House,
Plot 736-737, Central Business District,
P.M.B. 130 Garki, Abuja-Nigeria.
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