Nigerians celebrate Okonjo-Iweala as new DG of WTO

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: US now backs her for the WTO job

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Congratulation messages have continued to troop in for Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has she emerged the Director General, World Trade Organisation, WTO.

The recommendation of former World Bank managing director, was made by three WTO ambassadors, the so-called “troika”.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala, a renowned development economist, became the trade watchdog’s next leader after a group of WTO ambassadors proposed her to lead the UN agency. 106 countries, EU and ECOWAS all endorsed her candidacy.

This followed their consultation with members in a series of closed-door meetings in Geneva as part of an intricate and opaque process that some have compared to a papal succession.

Her endorsement by this powerful group has cleared the path for her to become the first woman and African to head the global watchdog in its 25-year history.

Okonjo-Iweala is an internationally respected economist and development expert, who has served as Managing Director of the World Bank, among other assignments.

See reactions from Nigerians

https://twitter.com/tosinolaseinde/status/1321422095495159813?s=20

https://twitter.com/OvieSheikh/status/1321419924091375616?s=20

https://twitter.com/KhafiKareem/status/1321416431267991552?s=20

 

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