WTO: 79 Countries Authorizes Okonjo-Iweala’s Candidacy

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is confident on achieving her goal to lead the crisis-affected World Trade Organisation after all the African countries supports her candidacy, promising she would reform the system.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, promised Okonjo-Iweala during her visit to Aso Villa in Abuja that he would do everything possible for her to emerge the winner.

She is Nigeria’s first female finance and foreign minister and has a 25-year career working as a development economist at the World Bank.

For the first time in WTO’s historty, the global trade body is set to be led by a woman whichever of the two candidates is successful in their bid to follow Roberto Azevedo.

The World Trade Organization is experiencing a downturn and they need a very competent Director General who is able to have the political reach to overcome its present challenges.

Okonjo-Iweala’s words:

“I feel the wind behind my back,”

” I was thrilled to learn that all African countries are getting behind me.

“A group of Caribbean and Pacific states had also said they would back me, bringing the number of countries officially endorsing my candidacy to 79 out of the 164 states that comprise the WTO.

” I feel optimistic about the support in Latin America, and I have very good traction and good support in Asia so far.

” I feel quite confident that about other regions, we will be able to attract soon”.