Nigerian first woman and African appointed to lead WTO
GENEVA: The World Trade Organisation has selected Ngozi OkonjoIweala to be the first woman and first African as its leader, tasking the former Nigerian finance minister with restoring trust in a rulesbased global trading system roiled by protectionism and the pandemic.
During a virtual meeting yesterday, the WTO’s 164 members unanimously selected the 66yearold development economist to serve a fouryear term as directorgeneral.
After withstanding a veto of her candidacy by the nowdeparted Trump administration, OkonjoIweala takes the helm of the Genevabased WTO at a precarious time for the world economy and just as the organisation itself is mired in a state of dysfunction.
She held a previous role as chairwoman of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation after a public sector career in international finance, including two terms as Nigeria’s finance minister and some 25 years at the World Bank. Her dual US citizenship means she is also the first American to hold the organisation’s top job.
Navigating the growing chasm between China and Western nations will be a key challenge. — Bloomberg News