Jobs/Appointments
WTO DG: Coast Clears for Okonjo-Iweala as Opponent Withdraws
By Adedapo Adesanya
Former Foreign and Finance Minister in Nigeria, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will emerge as the first woman Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This is because her opponent for the position, South Korean trade minister, Ms Yoo Myung-hee, on Friday abandoned her bid.
According to South Korea’s trade ministry in a statement, Ms Yoo had consulted with the United States — her prime backer — and other major countries and decided to renounce her candidacy.
“South Korea will continue to make various contributions to rebuild and enhance the multilateral trade system,” the statement from South Africa assured.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, if eventually confirmed, will succeed Brazilian Roberto Azevedo who resigned in August 2020.
The final decision as to who will head the trade body has been deadlocked since October when key WTO ambassadors tapped Mrs Okonjo-Iweala as the best pick to lead the organisation but the Donald Trump administration maintained its opposition to her appointment.
The WTO head is normally chosen by consensus, and this has left the selection process at a standstill since last year.
The decision to withdraw her candidacy is coming less than a month after the new administration of Joe Biden emerged took over from Mr Trump.
The WTO is widely seen as being in need of reform — even before the COVID-19 crisis hit, it had grappled with stalled trade talks and struggled to curb tensions between the United States and China.
The global trade body has also faced relentless attacks from Washington, which has crippled the WTO dispute settlement appeal system and threatened to leave the organisation altogether.
The WTO was destined to have its first woman director-general after the months-long consultations process whittled the candidates down to the final two.
Twice Nigeria’s finance minister and its first woman foreign minister, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, 66, trained as a development economist — she has degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard.
She spent a quarter of a century at the World Bank, rising to be managing director and running for the top role in 2012, and is seen as a trailblazer in her home country.
Similarly, Ms Yoo, 53, is known as a glass-ceiling-breaker in the South’s still male-dominated society.
She is an English Literature graduate of the Seoul National University. She set aside her dreams of a literary career to become a trade ministry civil servant, later handling a number of free trade negotiations along the way.
Jobs/Appointments
Tinubu Nominates ex-SEC DG Lamido Yuguda as CBN Deputy Governor
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The immediate past Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Lamido Yuguda, has been nominated as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The nomination was made by President Bola Tinubu, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
His name would be sent to the Senate for confirmation in compliance with a section of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
He is replacing Mr Bala Bello, who was recently appointed as the Special Adviser to the President on Political Economy.
Mr Lamido was in charge of the apex capital market regulatory body in Nigeria from 2020 to 2024. He was replaced by Mr Emomotimi Agama.
He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, where he graduated in 1983 with a B.Sc. in Accountancy. In 1991, he obtained a master’s degree in Money, Banking and Finance from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a CFA charterholder.
The nominee began his career in 1984 at the CBN as a Senior Supervisor in the Foreign Operations Department.
He also worked as an economist in the Africa Department of the International Monetary Fund from 1997 to 2001, when he returned to the CBN. He retired from the CBN in 2016, after serving as Director of the Reserve Management Department for six years.
President Tinubu has charged Mr Yuguda and his predecessor to discharge their responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth, in their respective roles.
Jobs/Appointments
Nigerian Breweries’ Thibaut Boidin Emerges Beer Sectoral Group Chairman
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Thibaut Boidin, has been appointed as the chairman of the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
In his new role, Mr Boidin will collaborate closely with the board of CEOs to provide strategic leadership for the group to advance critical industry priorities, including shaping sustainable category growth, advocating for commercial freedom through balanced and growth-oriented fiscal policies, and strengthening the differentiation and long-term competitiveness of beer within Nigeria’s beverages market.
He succeeds Mr Carlos Coutino. His appointment, according to a statement, became effective Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Mr Boidin brings extensive international leadership experience across nine countries to the BSG Chairmanship. He joined the HEINEKEN Group in 2017 as Deputy Managing Director of France Boissons (HEINEKEN largest integrated Distributor) and went to on to hold Chief Transformation Officer roles in HENIKEN France and HEINEKEN Europe.
Most recently, he served as Managing Director of HEINEKEN Romania, one of the group’s largest operations in Eastern Europe, before being appointed the chief executive of Nigerian Breweries Plc.
Prior to joining HEINEKEN, Mr Boidin served as an officer in the French Armed Forces across various continents, before transitioning to the corporate sector where he held senior executive and Managing Director roles at leading French organisations, including Elis and Veolia.
“I am honoured by the confidence reposed in me by my industry peers. With over three million jobs in the value chain, the beer sector has a critical role to play in Nigeria’s manufacturing and economic ecosystem through investment, local value creation, responsible consumption, and sustainable contribution to government revenue.
“As Chairman of the Beer Sectoral Group, my focus is to work closely with MAN, government and stakeholders to unlock category growth, enable fair competition, and support a predictable fiscal environment in which legitimate manufacturers can thrive,” Mr Boidin commented on his appointment.
Jobs/Appointments
IGP Disu Chooses Anthony Okon Placid as New Police Spokesman
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Mr Anthony Okon Placid has been appointed as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), replacing Mr Benjamin Hundeyin.
Mr Placid, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), was chosen for the position by the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunji Disu.
In a statement on Sunday by Mr Hundeyin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), his successor was described as “a seasoned officer of the Nigeria Police Force with extensive experience in administration, operations, intelligence, training, and international peacekeeping.”
The 55-year-old police officer was born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Uyo.
The indigene of Mbiokporo Nsit in the Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State also holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the University of Jos and studied Law at the National Open University of Nigeria for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
He was appointed into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Police Academy, Kano, in 1996, and was commissioned in August 1998.
He has attended several professional and international courses, including United Nations Peace Operations Specialised Training (POST), with certifications as an expert in Police Studies, Military Studies, Gender Awareness, International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Civilian Protection. UNITAR Senior Leadership and Peacebuilding course in Kenya.
Mr Placid has served in various strategic capacities within and outside the country, including Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adamawa State; PPRO, Police Staff College, Jos; Chief of Training, African Union Mission in Sudan; Head of Training and Development, United Nations Mission in Darfur; Divisional Police Officer in Federal Housing Calabar, Bakassi, Uruan, and Gembu; Officer-in-Charge, Anti-Robbery Unit, Kaduna State; African Union Election Security Adviser; Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Akwa Ibom and Kogi States; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Department, Abia State; and Deputy in charge of Administration and Finance, Zone 3 Headquarters, Yola.
He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Commonwealth Human Rights Trainer and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Trainer on International Humanitarian Law. He is a graduate of the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, and was inducted as a Member of the National Institute (mni) on December 13, 2025, prior to his redeployment to Cross River State.
The new police spokesman, who can be reached via 07031179186, is happily married with children. His hobbies include listening to good music, playing football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and engaging with people.
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