WTO DG Election: ECOWAS Declares Support For Okonjo-Iweala

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has publicly declared approval for Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala nomination for the World Trade Organisation Director-General election.

The endorsement of ECOWAS was contained in a statement signed by its President, Mamadou Issoufou.

Buhari had approved the candidacy of Okonjo-Iweala, changing the country’s previous position of backing the current Director-General of the WTO.

The statement read in part:

“The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government takes note of the communication by the Chairman of the General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) announcing the commencement of a process for the appointment of a new Director-General of VVTO, with the opening and closing dates of nominations set as 8 June and 8 July 2020 respectively,” the statement read.

“Takes into account that since the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 1 January 1995. which is a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established on 1 January 1948, no African has assumed the position of Director-General of the Organisation.

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“Further notes that the Federal Republic of Nigeria has formally nominated Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-lweala for the position of Director-General of WTO for the period 2021 — 2025:

“Having acknowledged the strong academic and professional background of Dr. Okonjo-lweala and her very large experience in national affairs as Nigeria’s Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister briefly in 2006;

“Having further acknowledged her long years of managerial experience at the top echelons of multilateral institutions, her established reputation as a fearless reformer, her excellent negotiating and political skills, her experience of over 30 years as a Development Economist with a long standing interest in trade, her excellent academic qualifications, her positions as Managing Director World Bank, and currently as Board Chair Gavi, and African Union Special Envoy to Mobilize Financial Resources for the fight against Covid19,

“Endorses the candidature of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-lweala for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation for the period 2021-2025; and

“Calls on other African countries as well as non-African countries to endorse her candidature.”