WTO: Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala sets to make history

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is set to make history as the first woman and only African to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) following her confirmation later on Monday when the General Council of the body meets.

Okonjo- Iweala, who has a track record of taking on seemingly intractable problems, will have her work cut out for her at the trade organization, even though Donald Trump, who was very critical of the group is no longer in the White House.

The Joe Biden administration swung the contest in her favour after the only other remaining candidate, South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee, withdrew from the race, following a meeting with US officials.

As the Director-General of WTO, a position that wields limited formal power, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, will need to broker international trade talks in the face of persistent U.S.-China conflict, respond to pressure to reform trade rules and counter protectionism exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is expected to become one of the few female heads of a major multilateral body, said her priorities include getting long-blocked trade talks on fishery subsidies across the finish line and breathing life back into WTO’s Appellate Body.

The Trump administration’s main criticism of her was that she lacked direct trade experience compared to her main South Korean rival and even supporters say she will have to quickly get up to speed on the technicalities of trade negotiations.

While rejecting this claim, Okonjo-Iweala said she has plenty of experience in trade plus other expertise, insisting that what is needed to lead the WTO is not technical skills but boldness and courage.

Okonjo-Iweala who is a special envoy for the World Health Organization on COVID-19 and, until recently chair of the board of global vaccine alliance Gavi, told Reuters that trade’s contribution to public health would be a priority.

The WTO currently faces a deadlock over the issue of waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 drugs, with many wealthy countries opposed.

She argued during the race that she was best placed out of the 8 candidates for the post to help WTO navigate through the crisis, insisting that she is a reform candidate.

Even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic with its devastation of the global economy, the WTO was weighed down by stalled trade talks and struggled to curb trade tensions between the United States and China.

The United States Government through the US Trade Representative, formally backed Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela for the position of the Director-General of WTO, describing her as someone who would bring a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy.