NIGERIANS are applauding the appointment of Enoh Titilayo Ebong as the Acting Director of US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
Ebong is the fourth Nigerian to be appointed by the President Joe Biden-led administration. Previous appointments include: Adewale Adeyemo as deputy secretary of the treasury department, Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo as white house counsel, and Osaremen Okolo as a member of Biden’s COVID-19 response team.
Many Nigerians view the latest appointment of a Nigerian as a well-deserved recognition of the brilliance and competitiveness of the Nigerian people. They also commended President Biden for giving consciously creating a path towards inclusiveness and equity.
On twitter, @GeorgeIfeanyiU1 tweeted: “This man (Biden) is showing non-bias to Nigerians. It (His appointments) shows he has capability and merit in mind. Quite different from Trump who called African countries shitholes and toilets and asked them to go back to their countries”.
Another Nigerian, @Aviego, said: “I am glad you can see how our people are appreciated outside (Nigeria). It is not about where she is from or who her father is; not about the quota from that region…or how many followers she has”.
Julian Chekwas who spoke to the ICIR in Abuja said “the recent appointment of Nigerians into to Biden-Harris administration is an eye-opener that we need to engage our youths more. If you consider the age group of these appointees against the position of responsibility they are assigned, you will discover that our youths back at home are grossly underestimated. When was the last time someone as young as these ones was appointed into public office in this country?”
Read Also: Biden reverses Trump’s travel ban on Nigeria, others
Announcing the appointment in a press statement released on Tuedsay, the agency said Ebong had served in a variety of roles, most recently as the Agency’s General Counsel, and Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer.
“Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. appointed Enoh T. Ebong as the Acting Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency…As Acting Director, Ms. Ebong leads an agency that partners with the U.S. private sector to develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in emerging economies, while supporting U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services,” the statement said.
It also quoted Ebong as saying during her swearing-in ceremony that: “It is an honor to return to USTDA. The opportunity to lead the Agency comes at a critical moment when the world is turning to the United States for leadership on clean energy and climate-smart infrastructure, as well as safe and secure ICT solutions”.
“The Agency is one of the most effective, targeted and proven tools within the U.S. government. I’ve long believed in USTDA’s mission and program, which are fully aligned with the President’s vision of strengthening our economy and addressing climate as an essential component of American foreign policy and national security,” the new acting director added.
Read Also: Is Nigerian government giving out N10,500 weekly COVID-19 support?
Prior to her return to USTDA, Ebong served as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, where she drove the development of strategic partnerships to expand access to education, health, financial empowerment and entrepreneurship.
She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, a Master of Arts in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in History, with Honors, from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar.