How Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Proposed Appointment As WTO Director-General Suffered A Major Setback

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s race to becoming the new Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) may have hit a roadblock.

Quite a number of news platforms had already announced her appointment in the early hours of today.

The ex-Minister of Finance was on course to become the first African woman to head the international organisation after getting support from the vast majority of member states, including the EU, Japan, and China.

European Union Backs Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala For WTO DG

In the final two-man race, she had polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat South Korea’s Trade Minister.

According to the latest report, the United States Trump Administration has refused to back Iweala’s appointment.

South Korea’s candidate Yoo Myung-hee however remains a contender and Washington will not recognize Okonjo-Iweala as the consensus candidate for appointment as director-general, a US trade representative at World Trade Organization on Wednesday said.

In response to this, the General Counsel has postponed its announcement of the new Director-General until a further meeting, which is scheduled for 9 November; after the US presidential elections.

Her appointment as the new director-general of the World Trade Organization would have been a tremendous boost for Africa and lines her up for one of the toughest jobs in the international system.