She succeeds former secretary general Jerome Valcke, who was banned from football-related activity for 12 years.
Samoura, 54, spent 21 years working for the United Nations and will start at football’s governing body in June.
“It
is essential Fifa incorporates fresh perspectives as we continue to
restore and rebuild our organisation,” said Fifa president Gianni
Infantino.
“She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and
improve the way organisations perform. Importantly for Fifa, she also
understands that transparency and accountability are at the heart of any
well-run and responsible organisation.”
Samoura’s appointment,
announced at Fifa’s congress in Mexico City, completes a new-look to an
organisation which has been dogged by corruption allegations under
Valcke and previous president Sepp Blatter.
Blatter, who had led
Fifa since 1998, stood down last year and was later suspended from
football for six years for breaching ethics guidelines.
On his appointment in February, Infantino said he would “work tirelessly to bring football back to Fifa and Fifa back to football”.
Samoura,
who will undergo an eligibility check before her role is ratified,
currently works for the UN in Nigeria, and speaks four languages.
She started her UN career as a senior logistics officer with the
World Food Programme in Rome in 1995 and has since served as country
representative or director in six African countries, including Nigeria.
“Today is a wonderful day for me, and I am honoured to take on this role,” she said.
“This
role is a perfect fit for my skills and experience – strategic,
high-impact team building in international settings – which I will use
to help grow the game of football all over the world.
“I also
look forward to bringing my experience in governance and compliance to
bear on the important reform work that is already underway at Fifa.
“Fifa
is taking a fresh approach to its work – and I am eager to play a role
in making that approach as effective and lasting as possible.”
