Okonjo-Iweala charges WTO to elect new director-general on merit 

Nigeria’s candidate for the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s director-general job, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday charged the agency to use merit as a parameter in selecting the next occupant of the exalted seat.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is among the eight candidates vying for the position, stated this while answering questions from journalists at a press conference held shortly after her presentation to the WTO General Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

The other seven candidates are from Mexico, Egypt, Moldova, Republic of Korea, Kenya, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

Okonjo-Iweala said: “Choosing a Director-General for WTO should be on merit. The best person should be chosen to lead an institution that’s having challenges.

“If the next person happens to be a woman, great. If it happens to be an African, it’s also great. It should be based on merit.”

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She also highlighted the qualities which make her a suitably qualified candidate for the job.

“The WTO needs leadership and I’m someone with a strong managerial capability with the ability to forge consensus and reforms.

“These bundles of qualities in addition to my leadership quality are what I’m bringing to the WTO,” she added.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, also spoke on various issues ranging from trade implication of COVID-19 challenges to Micro Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMSE), as well as e-Commerce.

According to her, e-Commerce and digital Economy are vital forms of trade, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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