UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of a Nigerian, Mr. Olufemi Elias, as Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

The appointment made public on Monday takes effect from Jan. 1, 2017.

Until his appointment, Elias he been serving as the Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal since July 2016.

He had earlier held that position from 2008 to 2013.

Elias was the Legal Adviser and Director at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 2013 to 2016.

He also served as Senior Legal Officer at the OPCW from 2005 to 2008.

He worked in legal positions at the UN Compensation Commission between 1998 and 2005.

Elias is an associate member of the Institut de Droit International.

A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), he holds a Ph.D from the University of London.

Elias also holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge and also attended the University of Oxford where he obtained another Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence.

Elias will succeed John Hocking of Australia.

Ban expressed gratitude to Hocking for his service, including his instrumental role in setting up the Mechanism and overseeing the construction of its new premises in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania. (NAN)

•Photo shows Olufemi Elias.

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