Tag: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Okonjo-Iweala makes first visit to Nigeria as WTO D-G

Aminu Imam

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has made her first visit to Nigeria since she assumed office.  She was received upon her arrival in the country on Saturday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo.  Okonjo-Iweala told reporters, in Abuja, that her visit to Nigeria was to show appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the support accorded her. She also hinted that discussion on how Nigeria can leverage her position to benefit from trans-national trade formed part of her visit to…

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Okonjo-Iweala resumes as WTO DG today

Aminu Imam

Former finance minister,Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, takes over the World Trade Organisation (WTO) today, amid hopes that she will spur the beleaguered body into addressing its towering challenges, including the pandemic-fuelled global economic crisis. “The WTO is too important to allow it to be slowed down, paralysed and moribund,” the first woman and first African to ever lead the global trade body told AFP a day after her nomination last month. Okonjo-Iweala takes the helm after the WTO was left adrift for seven months following the sudden departure of Brazilian career diplomat…

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala set to be first African boss of WTO

Aminu Imam

After nearly six months without a leader, the World Trade Organisation, (WTO), looks set to appoint Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its first female and first African leader on Monday. Dr Okonjo-Iweala used to be Nigeria’s finance minister. She is the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. Her task will not be easy. Although she is not a trade expert, says she can be a “clear set of eyes” for the global trade body. It has taken more than six months for the WTO to agree on…

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WTO: Okonjo-Iweala thanks Buhari, Biden

Aminu Imam

Former Nigerian Finance Minister and Nigeria’s candidate for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians for their unflinching support. She also thanked the U.S government for endorsing her candidacy. Okonjo-Iweala on her tweet twitter page on Friday also commended her opponent, Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee, for the “hard fought race”. The Biden administration had declared support for Okonjo-Iweala on Friday, after over three months of the process being on hold as a result of the…

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerges Forbes ‘Africa Person of the Year 2020’

Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s first female minister of finance and the prime candidate for the office of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. (Mrs.) Okonjo-Iweala, joins a list of eminent Africans to have received the award. In 2019, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), won the award for his outstanding work at the bank and a sterling career in agriculture and finance.  Other eminent Nigerians to have bagged the award are Muhammad Sanusi II (2011), former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Aliko Dangote (2014), president of…

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WTO D-G bid: ‘We will not relent’, Buhari vows

Aminu Imam

As EU restates support for Okonjo-Iweala President Muhammadu Buhari says the Nigerian Government will not relent until Nigeria’s candidate for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerges the next Director-General. The President gave the assurance in a tweet yesterday, following a video conference with the President of the European Council, Mr. Charles Michel. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina disclosed that the council president reiterated the support of Europe for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to become the…

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Despite US opposition, Okonjo-Iweala set to become WTO D-G

Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s nominee for the position of the Director-General (D-G) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is set to emerge winner of the competitive race. According to Reuters, a key group of WTO ambassadors proposed Okonjo-Iweala to lead the trade organisation yesterday and she won the popular vote by a wide margin, with the expectation of an announcement after their meeting in Geneva, as the heads of the delegation, who met by 3pm, failed to reach a consensus. Although, after the meeting, Reuters reported that the US…

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