Jubilation rent the air as Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala emerged the Director General of World Trade Organization.
The Heritage Times can confirm that Okonjo-Iweala was nominated as the final candidate for the much-coveted role.
She polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee, 53, who is the first woman from her country to head the Ministry of Commerce.
It would be recalled that European Parliament had endorsed Okonjo-Iweala to head the WTO, saying she was well-equipped. Subsequently the parliament wrote the EU to support the Nigerian candidate.
With the development, it means she has just become the first African to occupy the position; succeeding Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo and former director-general of the 25-year-old trade organisation.
