Business
79 Countries Back Okonjo-Iweala For WTO Job
About 79 countries have thrown their weight behind Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The former minister disclosed this during a virtual press conference, last Friday.
She said the 55-man African Union (AU) has officially endorsed her over her only opponent, Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea.
Okonjo-Iweala also claimed a group of Caribbean and Pacific states have also said they would back her, bringing the number of countries backing her candidacy to 79.
She said she was “optimistic” about support from Latin America, adding that she felt she had gotten “very good traction and good support” in Asia so far.
“I feel the wind behind my back.
“I feel quite confident that across the regions, we will be able to attract support,” Okonjo-Iweala said.
The Tide source also claimed that the European Union (EU) are due to announce its preference for the WTO top job “soon”.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had assured the former minister that he would do everything within his power to ensure she got the job.
The Tide reports that the President is also rallying the support of many countries for Okonjo-Iweala to clinch the WTO top job.
WTO had, penultimate Thursday, disclosed that Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea advanced to the final round of consultations which will determine the next WTO Director-General.
If Okonjo-Iweala clinches the WTO top job, she will replace Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as Director-General in August, a year ahead of schedule, and become the first woman and first African Director-General of the global trade organisation.