The former Minister of Finance , Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has emerged as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
Okonjo-Iweala whose administration begins on March 1, is the first woman and African to clinch the position.
The WTO made the disclosure on their twitter handle saying “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria is appointed as the next WTO Director-General. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. Her term starts on the 1st of March 2021.
“WTO members took the decision to appoint @NOIweala at a special meeting of the General Council, following a selection process that included eight candidates from around the world #WTODG.”
Her emergence as WTO DG comes a few days after an endorsement by the administration of US President Joe Biden for the role.
The US Trade Representative in a statement cited her “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she had “proven experience managing a large international organization.
Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee were the final candidates for the position before Myung-hee pulled out of the race.
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