Okonjo-Iweals shows appreciation to Former US Officials

Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude to former US officials who urged President Biden to endorse her selection by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as Director-General.

The selection of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to lead the WTO was not backed by the Trump administration after she won support across the globe.

The Trump administration through its Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, blocked the WTO’s selection of Okonjo-Iweala and indeed backed her opponent Yoo Myung-Hee, citing the former’s trade inexperience; a position many a people differ on.

Iweala was tipped to take over from Frenchman, Pascal Lamy as WTO-DG in 2013 but declined.

A cross-section of former senior U.S. Government officials, including a Nobel Laureate, along with academicians and civil society leaders, had written to President Biden in support of the election of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as WTO-DG.

My thanks to these remarkable leaders for expressing their views! The @wto has a critical role to play in making the Multilateral Trading System part of the solution to #covid19 pandemic, and no time to waste.

Let’s get to work on global recovery!