Mrs Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of United Nations (UN), has disclosed that she was seen as the dustbin lady when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her as minister of environment.

Speaking at International Monetary Fund (IMF) and UN working together conversation on Tuesday, she said the people did not see the real value of her office as minister of environment.

President Buhari appointed Mohammed in November 2015. She resigned from Nigerian Federal Executive Council on 24 February 2017 to assume office as the 5th Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations.

“I have to tell you, when I went back to Nigeria as minister of environment, my state was saying, it was environment they gave you? that is the dustbin lady. They did not even get that environment was broader than just waste disposal,” she told Lagarde and a room full of development experts.

She said UN and IMF must have better conversations on the demands of a growing economy, seeking ways to make growth better and inclusive.

The mother of six also spoke about every of the 17 goals that make up SDGs as her children, saying all were equally important for the future of the world.

Daily Trust