FIFA Appoints A Woman From Senegal As Secretary-General

FIFA empowers women. They have appointed Fatma Samoura from Senegal as Secretary-General She is taking over from Jerome Valcke, and is the first female to fill the post. Ms Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United Nations programmes and is currently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria.

Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time. She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform.

As required under FIFA statutes, Ms Samoura will undergo an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee, per Article 37 of the FIFA Statutes. Ms Samoura will assume the role of FIFA Secretary General before mid-June.

In her current UN role in Nigeria, Ms Samoura has wide-ranging responsibilities including budgeting, human resources, and procurement, among others. She coordinates the activities of approximately 2,000 staff members, and monitors and evaluates the security, political and socio-economic situation and trends in Africa’s most populous country.