In a historic move for the World Trade Organization (WTO), Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed as the first woman and first African Director-General of the WTO.
The National News Agency reported on a statement from the WTO after a general meeting held for this purpose today, stating that members of the WTO have just agreed to appoint Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to the position of Director-General. The statement clarified that Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister and World Bank expert, will take office on March 1, with a renewable term ending on August 31, 2025. Two sources who attended the meeting confirmed that all members of the General Council, the highest decision-making body of the organization, approved her appointment during a virtual meeting that focused solely on the agenda item of appointing the Director-General of the WTO. Following her appointment, Okonjo-Iweala delivered a speech remotely to representatives of member states during a closed meeting.
Since its establishment in 1995, the WTO has been led by six individuals, including three Europeans, a New Zealander, a Thai, and a Brazilian, leading to increasing voices in recent times protesting against the exclusion of Africans from this position. The 66-year-old Okonjo-Iweala, who is considered an important figure in Nigeria, especially within feminist circles, has served as the Minister of Economy twice in her country, in addition to holding the position of Foreign Minister for a short time, and has worked at the World Bank starting in 1982 for 25 years. In 2012, Okonjo-Iweala, who holds advanced degrees in economics from Harvard and MIT, failed to become the president of the international banking institution against her South Korean competitor Jim Yong Kim.
It is noted that at the end of October, the Trump administration, which sought to undermine the WTO during its four years in office, disrupted the consensus that was forming around the 66-year-old Nigerian at the last moment. This made her appointment anticipated after the withdrawal of her sole competitor, South Korean Foreign Minister Yoo Myung-hee, on February 5. The latter made her decision after consulting with the United States, which had been her main supporter during the Trump administration. The Biden administration expressed its support for appointing Okonjo-Iweala to head the organization after months of paralysis following the resignation of Brazilian Roberto Azevêdo from the position a year before the end of his term for unspecified reasons.
