Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
-By Victoria Opeyemi
Nigeria former Minister of Finance Dr. Okonjo Iweala has been appointed as the Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO). She is the first woman and African to be appointed for the position.
As Minister of Finance, Dr. Iweala negotiated strongly and helped to canvass for cancellation of Nigeria’s debt under President Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 2005 involving about $12 billion which was erased for the country. Nigeria heaved a sigh of relief by starting from a clean slate.
She joins Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who is the President of Africa Development Bank and Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary General.
The reservations of the United State to her emergence during President Donald Trump almost caused a temporarily set back but President Joe Biden supported and endorsed her candidacy for the WTO job.
Being WTO Director General, she is expected to impact Africa. Although China and the US are the two countries in the global trading stage trying to muscle one another.
Functions of WTO includes: forum for trade negotiations, handling trade disputes, monitoring trade policies, technical assistance for developing economies, cooperation with other international organizations and trade dispute. President Mohammadu Buhari supported the emergence of Dr. Iweala who is to formally assume office in March 1st 2021.
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