WTO accepts Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s nominee

The World Trade Organisation on Tuesday acknowledged Nigeria’s nomination of a former Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the position of director-general.

Announcing in a statement, WTO wrote, “Nigeria, on 9 June 2020, nominated Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the post of WTO Director-General to succeed the current Director-General, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, who has announced he will step down on 31 August 2020.

“According to the timetable announced by the Chair of the General Council, David Walker, the nomination period will close on 8 July 2020.

“Shortly after the nomination period has closed, candidates will be invited to meet with members at a special General Council meeting, present their views and take questions from the membership.”

 

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), recently approved Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination for the position.

The election is scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021 for a four-year term that would run from 2021 to 2025.

Okonjo-Iweala currently chairs the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, a public-private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

She also sits on the board of Twitter and is a former managing director (operations) at the World Bank.