Fifty-eight of the 164-member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members have endorsed former Nigerian finance minister and incumbent Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to serve a second term.
This comes following a proposal from the African Group backing made known in a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council, according to a statement by the world trade body.
The statement read in part: “The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible.”
“Fifty-eight members, several speaking on behalf of groups of members, took the floor to comment and express their support for the African Group proposal. They called on DG Okonjo-Iweala to make her intentions regarding a second term known as soon as possible. Most of these members praised the DG’s hard work and her achievements during her first term.
Okonjo-Iweala expressed her gratitude for the support from members. “Everything that I’ve accomplished, we’ve accomplished together,” she said.
The director general said that she took the call of members very seriously and was favourably inclined. She said she would get back to members very soon regarding her intentions.
The 70-year-old WTO boss had over a two-decade career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the number two position of Managing Director, Operations. She took office on March 1, 2021, for a single term of four years which will expire on August 31, 2025. However, she is eligible for a second term.
She endured stiff opposition to emerge as the first female and the first African to serve as WTO Director-General. Before now, she served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from 2003 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2015. At some point, she was Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions.