UN appoints Nigeria’s Adeleke as first African co-chair of Global Sustainable Development Report

 United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres in a historic first has appointed Dr. Adedoyin Adeleke as Co-Chair of the United Nations Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) charged with preparing the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).

In a release published by the UN, Dr. Adeleke, who is both the first African and the first Nigerian to hold the role.

Although other Africans were appointed as members, Adeleke, who recently made headlines when he relocated from Italy to Nigeria to push for green will co-chair with Phoebe Koundouri, a Professor at Athens University of Economics and Business & University of Cambridge, who is also the President World Council ENREA; Chair SDSN Global Climate Hub and Director AE4RIA.

The GSDR is the UN’s flagship evidence-based publication on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mandated by UN Member States and released every four years. Designed to bridge the science-policy-society gap, the report provides actionable recommendations to world leaders. As Co-Chair, Dr. Adeleke will lead a team of 15 globally renowned scientists from multiple disciplines and regions to deliver cutting-edge insights on emerging challenges and pathways for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Adeleke’s appointment is seen as a significant recognition of Africa’s growing influence in shaping global development policy. His leadership is expected to bring a strong focus on justice, intergenerational equity, and transformative solutions.

The 2027 edition will be the final GSDR before the 2030 deadline, making its recommendations a crucial “last push” towards the realisation of the SDGs and shaping the post-2030 UN development agenda.

A prominent sustainability expert, Dr. Adeleke is the Founder and Executive Director of the Green Growth Africa Sustainability Network, a UNEP-accredited NGO headquartered in Nigeria. The organisation is committed to driving just and green transitions across Africa. He holds a PhD in Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, where he also served as a Research Fellow with the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development
His work has contributed to several international projects, including the EU-funded Long-Term Joint Research and Innovation Partnership on Renewable Energy (LEAP-RE) and AMBassadors for Sustainable TransITION (AMBITION).

He has pioneered youth-focused programmes such as the EcoHeroes Initiative and the Mentoring for Research Programme, which have reached more than 10,000 secondary school students and supported 175 graduate researchers across 57 universities in 26 African countries.

Adeleke is also credited with constructing Nigeria’s first ultra-modern green building made entirely from waste plastic bottles and powered by solar energy. His current flagship initiative, Scaling National Capacity for Plastic Upcycling (SNAP-Up), tackles systemic barriers in the waste value chain while promoting green building solutions.

In media innovation, he established Nigeria’s first development media and broadcasting outfit, Green Growth TV & Studios, based in Asokoro, Abuja. He has also developed two digital tools — Green Growth DigiHub, a platform that tracks and amplifies the global policy impact of local sustainable development projects, and Green Growth Watch, which enables citizens to document and report environmental incidents and exercise their environmental rights.

Adeleke’s appointment as Co-Chair of the 2027 GSDR positions Nigeria and Africa at the heart of global sustainability decision-making, ensuring that African perspectives are central to the next phase of the global development agenda.