WTO: Nigerian govt. inaugurates campaign strategy team for Okonjo-Iweala

The federal government has inaugurated a Campaign Strategy Team for a former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is vying for the post of the Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, while inaugurating the team on Thursday in Abuja, said it was key to the success in ensuring that the Nigerian candidate emerged as WTO Director-General for 2021 – 2025 term.

Mr Adebayo, in a statement by Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, Assistant Director, Press Unit of the ministry, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to nominate Mrs Okonjo–Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position of WTO Director-General was in good faith.

He said the decision was given the overriding consideration of the need to host Africa’s chance and for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at the world’s top trade post.

He expressed optimism that the Nigerian candidate would emerge as the next Director-General of WTO, based on her capabilities and wealth of experience at the highest level of the World Bank, as a Development Economist, Diplomat and one of Africa’s most trusted technocrats.

“An eminently qualified candidate in the position of Okonjo-Iweala with proven leadership, bold reformer, skillful negotiator with abilities to broker numerous agreements that would promote fair trade should be selected for Director-General of the WTO.

“I am confident that she possesses the qualities to lead the most important global multilateral body,” the minister said.

He, therefore, charged the team to develop a winning strategy for the candidate and also called on stakeholders, media, public, private and trading partners to give necessary support that she required to emerge as WTO Director-General.

The Minister of State, Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, who is the Team Leader of the Campaign Strategy team, pledged the full commitment of members of the team to deliver on its mandate.