Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has acknowledged Nigeria’s nominee, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the post of its Director-General come 2021.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated the former Finance Minister for the post of the Director-General of the Geneva-based organisation.
The current WTO Director-General, Mr Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil, has announced he will step down on August 31, 2020 due to political and economic tussle, brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“According to the timetable announced by the Chair of the General Council, Mr David Walker, the nomination period will close on 8 July 2020,” a statement on the WTO website said.
“Shortly after the nomination period has closed, candidates will be invited to meet with members at a special General Council meeting, present their views and take questions from the membership.”
Other nominees for the post so far include Mr Jesús Seade Kuri of Mexico and Mr Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh of Egypt.
Egypt had opposed the nomination of Mrs Okonjo-Iweala on the ground that it was belated.
The North African country told members of the African Union (AU) that her nomination should not be recognised.
In a letter to the African Union (AU) member-states, Egypt had contended that the nomination of Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, a former DG of the World Bank, was out of time and therefore breached the rules of nomination, saying that Nigeria no longer had a candidate for the position.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is a world-renowned economist and international development expert.
She currently sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and the African Risk Capacity.
