Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Makes History as the First Woman and African to be Appointed Director-General of the WTO

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Makes History as the First Woman and African to be Appointed Director-General of the WTO

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been officially appointed as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization, (WTO) by representatives of the 164 member countries. She was affirmed as the new head of WTO at a special meeting of its General Council which held on Monday, the 15^th of February 2021.

The appointment came after South Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee withdrew her candidacy on the 5^th of February 2021, leaving Okonjo-Iweala as the sole candidate in the race for WTO. Also, earlier in January 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received a strong endorsement from the U.S President, Joe Biden to lead the WTO on the notion that she brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy.

By her appointment, Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first woman and African to head the global trade body. She assumes office on the 1^st of March, 2021. Her term, renewable will expire on the 31^st of August 2025.

Okonjo-Iweala is an achiever of many firsts. Asides from being the first female and African to lead the WTO, she is the first Nigerian female Finance Minister and Foreign Minister, and also the first to run for the World Bank Presidency, where she had an extensive career.

Okonjo-Iweala had a 25-year-long career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising fast to the number-2 position of Managing Director, Operations from 2007-2011. She was two-time Finance Minister under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, 2003-2006, and the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration from 2011-2015, where she was also Coordinating Minister for the Economy. 

On her appointment, the newly appointed WTO-DG said one of her key priorities would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Okonjo-Iweala said,

“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO Director-General. A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together, we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”

Okonjo-Iweala is an alumnus of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Read Also: Aliko Dangote Endorses Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General, World Trade Organization

Okonjo-Iweala serves on the Boards of Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Standard Chartered Bank, and the African Risk Capacity (ARC). She is also a special envoy for the World Health Organization’s fight against COVID-19.

Okonjo-Iweala has received numerous awards and recognitions. In November 2020, she was named winner of the 2020 International Service Award of the World Affairs Councils of America and was Forbes African of the Year in December 2020.

Congratulations to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her new appointment. She is a force to reckon with and we are so proud.