13 crucial facts about Okonjo Iweala, the recently reelected WTO DG

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African and woman to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO), secured a second term as Director-General. She announced her reelection bid in September, and with no challengers by the November 8 deadline, the WTO General Council confirmed her reappointment. Her current tenure, which began in March 2021, will end in August 2025.

Here are thirteen key facts about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala:

1. She is a renowned Nigerian economist and international development expert.
2. She was born on June 13, 1954.
3. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Economics degree.
4. She earned her PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
5. She spent 25 years at the World Bank, rising to the position of Managing Director of Operations.
6. She serves as the current Director-General of the WTO.
7. She assumed the WTO Director-General position on March 1, 2021.
8. She is the first African and woman to hold the top position in the WTO’s 75-year history.
9. She served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from 2003 to 2006 and 2011 to 2015.
10. She holds the distinction of being Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister.
11. From 2016 to 2020, she chaired the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
12. She consistently ranks among Forbes’ Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
13. She secured her second term as WTO Director-General on November 29, 2024.

CREDIT:Allneeds,THE NATION

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