NIGERIA'S DR NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA SETS TO APPEAR BEFORE THE WTO TODAY
Dr Ngozi Okonjo - Iweala is set to appear before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) today in its screening exercise for the position of Director-General (DG).
Eight candidates from four continents are in the race for the top position of the agency.
The eight candidates which include five males and three females will present themselves to members of the 164 countries that make up the WTO between July 15th and July 17th.
Other candidates are Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), Amina Mohamed (Kenya), Jesús Kuri (Mexico), Tudor Ulianovschi (Moldova), Yoo Myung-hee (Korea), Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri (Saudi Arabia), and Liam Fox (UK).
Fascinatingly, Nigeria, one of the founding members of the agency established on January 1st, 1995, is putting up its former Finance and Foreign Minister, Dr Ngozi - Okonjo Iweala as a replacement for the current DG, Roberto Azevêdo, who is stepping down on August 31st, 2020.
Dr Iweala will on Wednesday afternoon by 3pm meet with WTO members to share her manifesto for the organisation. During the meeting, members will also have the opportunity to ask her questions and generally access her suitability for the position.
No female or African has occupied the seat since the inception of the organisation in1995. Three of its DGs were from Europe, while one each came from Oceania, Asia and South America.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian-born economist and international development expert. She sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and the African Risk Capacity.
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