Nigerians Celebrate As Okonjo-Iweala Gets Second Term As WTO DG

By Adesina Soyooye

Nigerians are in a celebratory mood, as one of their own,  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has swept into office for a second term as the Director General of the World Trade Centre.

The first woman and first African to hold the high profile office, Dr Okonjo-Iweala assumed office on March 1, 2021, after he beat a very competitive field.

And just as her first term comes to an end in August, 2024, every interested party to that office, looked at her records, and thought it wise to let her waltz to a second term unopposed to complete the brilliant job she is doing.

At the end of nominations on November 8, 2024, no candidate or country challenged her. She stood unopposed – a sole candidate.

A statement by the WTO on Saturday said:

“Nominations for Director-General closed; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala confirmed as sole candidate.

“Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council, informed WTO members on 9 November that no further nominations for the position of Director-General had been received by the deadline of 8 November and that the incumbent Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is, therefore, the only candidate for the role.

“Director-General Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term in the role in a letter to the Chair on 16 September. On 8 October, the WTO formally commenced the process for appointing its next Director-General, with members given until 8 November to submit nominations.”

According to  WTO,  the chair of the General Council will communicate the next steps in this process in the coming days.

It said: “The process was led by the General Council Chair in accordance with the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General.”

Okonjo-Iweala, 70, is a record breaker.  A top flight Economist, she was at the World Bank when her country, Nigeria, brought her to become the first Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy – a position she first held under President Olusegun Obasanjo, (Minister for Finance), and under President Goodluck Jonathan who added the position of Coordinating Minister of the Economy to her Finance portfolio.

A native of Ogwashi-Uku,  Delta State, she is married to Dr Ikemba Iweala from Abia State with whom she has equally high profile children. Both her parents are Professors. Her father, a Professor of Statistics, was the Traditional Ruler of his Community before he passed.