Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Friday night said she was grateful for the United States government endorsing her for the vacant position of World Trade Organisation’s director-general.
President Joe Biden’s administration threw it weight behind Okonjo-Iweala last Friday after South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee dropped out of the race to lead the organisation.
Yoo enjoyed the support of the former American President Donald Trump, whose support for the Korean blocked Okonjo-Iweala-Iweala from being named for the WTO top job since last November.
“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister,” US Trade Representative said in a statement on Friday.
She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organization with a diverse membership.”
In her reaction to the US endorsement, – the only obstacle in her path – Okonjo-Iweala said she was “grateful”. She thanked Yoo Myung-hee for running a “hard fought campaign,” and the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari and her countrymen for their “unflinching support”.
President Buhari had promised in October to make “whatever phone calls need to be made” to ensure she gets the nod for the job.
“I will continue to see support from world leaders on her behalf,” the Buhari tweeted on October 20. That tweet was retweeted on Saturday by the Nigerian Government.
