The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has congratulated Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her emergence as Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), describing her as “a shining light in trade diplomacy”.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was a two-time minister of finance, and minister of foreign affairs, has emerged as the D-G of WTO on Wednesday after acquiring a wide margin of votes ahead of her South Korean counterpart.
According to ACCI President, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, in a statement by Latifat Opoola, ACCI Media Officer on Wednesday in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala has made history as she is the first African and woman to head the WTO.
Kayode said apart from her time in public office, the development economist had garnered a quarter of a century worth of experience at the World Bank where she delivered impeccably, rising to the top role in 2012.
“The appointment is an acknowledgement of her excellence, competence, positive and vast experience in multilateral trade diplomacy. The world agrees that a brilliant Nigerian is needed to reform the WTO and tackle the multiple problems facing world trade.
“Okonjo-Iweala has shattered a couple of ceilings and has a chance to put Africa’s plans to build the world’s biggest free trade area by helping to point out the productive and market opportunities in the continent”.
He said the burden could be heavy but her track record earned her the position of the African Union’s special envoy to mobilise international support for the continental effort to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kayode believed that she has capability to efficiently and creatively steer the affairs of the presently stressed WTO, as the first woman and African to hold the position.
However, the U.S representative at the WTO who took to the floor in an attempt to stop Okonjo-Iweala insisted that South Korea’s candidate remained a contender, and that Washington will not recognise her as the consensus candidate for the appointment.
Okonjo-Iweala contested the position with South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee.
Sources in Geneva say she had won the vast majority of member states, including the EU, Japan and China but not the U.S.
In response to the development, the announcement was postponed until a further meeting scheduled for November 9, after the U.S elections.
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