Ojuolape was appointed as the UNFPA resident representative in Somalia in May 2022 following an almost five years tenure as country representative of the UNFPA in Ghana. Niyi resumed in the same capacity in the organization’s country office in Somalia. His credentials were officially received by Acting Foreign Minister and State Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Balal Mohamed Osman on 20 June 2022, marking the start of his tenure in Somalia.[5]
He has mainstreamed youth issues, zero gender-based violence,[6] and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), as core strands of the organisation.[7][8]
Prior to this role, he served as the country representative for UNFPA Ghana, he served as UNFPA's Chief of Staff at the Headquarters in New York and before that, as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director, Babatunde Osotimehin. He also served as the Deputy Representative of UNFPA in the Democratic Republic of Congo, liaising with political influencers within government, colleagues and Development Partners for the initiation of the landmark advocacy on Demographic Dividend.[9]
As the UNFPA Country Representative in Ghana, he initiated several youth-centric and gender-inclusive programmes. Of note is the Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme which is partly implemented by Impact Hub Accra.[10] The programme selects 16 graduates from Ghanaian tertiary institutions annually following rigorous screening, to intern at the UNFPA Ghana country office where they develop several skills ranging from: innovation, youth and gender advocacy and community development. Consequent on this, he led the completion of a youth innovation hub named ‘The Orange Loft’, and which was commissioned in June 2019 by Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund.[11]
Ojuolape is a member of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH), a joint initiative of the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Samira Bawumia and UNFPA Ghana.[12] He has leveraged on the relevant public institutions like the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) and faith-based organisations to increase awareness about GBV in Ghana and build capacity for improved response.[13]
