Nigeria's Okonjo Iweala Emerges Sole Candidate for Another Four-Year Term As DG World Trade Organization
By: Abdulwasiu Akintunde
Nigeria’s former finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been confirmed as the sole candidate for the role of World Trade Organization (WTO) director-general, securing her position for a second term.
The WTO announced over the weekend that no additional nominations had been submitted by the November 8 deadline, making Okonjo-Iweala the only contender for the organization’s top job.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News gathered that Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the WTO General Council, shared this news, stating that Okonjo-Iweala had confirmed her willingness to serve another four-year term in a letter dated September 16.
The WTO noted that the General Council Chair will soon outline the final steps in the reappointment process, guided by the WTO’s official procedures.
Okonjo-Iweala first became director-general on February 15, 2021, marking a historic moment as both the first woman and the first African to lead the organization.
At her initial appointment, she committed to advancing critical trade discussions, including fishery subsidies, and to reinvigorating the WTO’s Appellate Body.
A pioneering figure in Nigeria, Okonjo-Iweala previously served two terms as finance minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and was briefly the country’s first female foreign minister in 2006.
She has defied critics who questioned her experience in trade negotiation, further solidifying her reputation as a trailblazer.
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