Meet the first woman and African in the running to head the WTO
AFRICA is on track to have the first African woman head the international trade regulator, the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In what is set to become a watershed moment not only for Nigeria, from where she hails, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala’s potential ascension to the WTO top job will be a win for women’s rights on the continent – a continent rich in exceptional women leaders.
So who is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and what does she bring to the table as potentially the next head of the WTO?
Firstly, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with an illustrious career which spans 30 years working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala was born to a royal family of Chukwuka and Kamene Okonjo in June 1954, in Delta State, Nigeria.
Both of her parents were professors at the University of Ibadan, in Nigeria.
According to the WTO website, Dr Okonjo-Iweala served as Nigeria’s finance minister twice from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2015. She briefly acted as foreign minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala spent 25 years working for the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the position of managing director: operations.
According to the BBC, during her 25 years at the World Bank, she is credited with spearheading several initiatives to assist low-income countries, in particular raising nearly US$50 billion in 2010 from donors for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.
According to the Conversation, in 2012 she became the first female and black candidate to contest for the presidency of World Bank Group.
In 2014, she was named as one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 influential people in the world, as well as the
Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World by Forbes Magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
WTO said Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a skilled negotiator and has brokered numerous agreements with win-win outcomes in negotiations.
These are but only a few of her accomplishments, her resume is rather impressive and extensive.
Analysts say her African origin places her on politically neutral ground, enabling her, among other things, to objectively mediate between China and the US and perform her duties.