New Ambassador to Abuja, side accreditation to South Sudan

At the presidential session on Friday 1 June, the President of the Republic decided to appoint Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jyrki Pulkkinen to serve as Finland's Ambassador to Abuja, Nigeria, from 1 September 2018.

Jyrki Pulkkinen will move to Abuja from the Ministry's Development Evaluation Unit, where he has been Director of Unit since 2013.

In 2004–2008 and in 2011–2013, he served as Senior Adviser for information society, development and innovation policy at the Ministry's Department for Development Policy.

In 2008–2011, Pulkkinen worked in Ireland and Kenya as the CEO of the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), an international non-profit organisation founded by a UN task force.

Before his career in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he held various research and education positions at the University of Oulu. He holds the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education.

In addition, the President of the Republic authorised Helena Airaksinen, Ambassador of Finland to Addis Ababa, to represent Finland also in South Sudan.