Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Currently, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the first woman ever to occupy the post.
Born in June 13, 1954 to a royal family of Ogwashi Ukwu in Delta State 68 years ago. Both her parents were professors at the University of Ibadan. After completing her secondary education at both St. Anne’s School, Molete and the International School of Ibadan, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala proceeded to the United States of America when she enrolled at Harvard University in 1973.
Okonjo-Iweala had a 25-year career at the World Bank in Washington DC as a development economist and rose to the second position of Managing Director, Operations. As managing director, she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006. She was the first woman to hold both positions. During her first term as Finance Minister in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, she spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion. In 2011, Okonjo-Iweala was re-appointed as Minister of Finance in Nigeria with the expanded portfolio of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Her legacy in the Nigerian government includes strengthening the country’s public financial systems which saw Nigeria becoming the largest economy in Africa in 24 years. Due to her gender-responsive budget, she empowered women and youth with the Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria Programme (GWIN) and the highly acclaimed Youth Enterprise with Innovation Programme (YouWIN). These programmes created thousands of jobs and youth entrepreneurs. Her quest for a functioning Nigeria was without challenges. In 2012, she received death threats and even endured the pain of having her mother kidnapped when she tried to sanitise Nigeria’s fuel subsidy payments to some marketers.
After leaving government, Okonjo-Iweala became a member of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (2015–2016), chaired by Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minster of the United Kingdom and the Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance, which was established by the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (2017–2018).
Since 2019, Okonjo-Iweala has been part of UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education, chaired by Sahle-Work Zewde, the current President of Ethiopia. She has also been serving on the High-Level Council on Leadership & Management for Development of the Aspen Management Partnership for Health (AMP Health). In 2020, she was appointed by the African Union (AU) as special envoy to solicit international support to help the continent deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2020, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Okonjo-Iweala as the country’s candidate to be director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Later advanced to the election’s final round. During the election for this position, she received the backing of the European Union for her candidacy. The United States government only supported her candidacy Yoo Myung-hee, Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister. Dr. Konjo-Iweala was unanimously appointed as the next Director-General on 15 February and began her career as Director General of the WTO on 1 March 2021.
Okonjo-Iweala has received numerous recognition and awards. She has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015), the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014),[ the Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012),[ the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012), the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011), the Top 100 Women in the World (The Guardian, 2011), the Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011), the Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011). She was listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Condé Nast International.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala is married to Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon from Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. They have four children of which is celebrated author Uzodinma Iweala.
