Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was slated to be the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She will be the first woman, and the first African, to lead the institution. But there was an unexpected glitch in the process.
In a last-ditch move, the United States representative at World Trade Organization took to the floor to insist that South Korea’s candidate remained a contender and that Washington will not recognize Okonjo-Iweala as the consensus candidate for appointment as director-general.

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.

A panel at the WTO recommended her today for the position.

Today’s announcement that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is to be 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.

READ MORE Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: “If we didn’t have the WTO we would have to invent it.”

Our sources in Geneva say that she had won the support from the vast majority of member states, including the EU, Japan and China, but not the United States.

She will have to lead the charge for a revival of multilateralism, in the negotiating chambers of the WTO and for a better deal for developing economies, as well as for the practical matter of how reforming trade and patent rules can allow the distribution of life-saving vaccines and therapeutics as the coronavirus pandemic rips across the world on its second wave.

As the first woman and African to head the trade body, Okonjo-Iweala has shattered a couple of ceilings at the same time. She also has a chance to put Africa’s plans to build the world’s biggest free trade area on the top table, pointing to the product and market opportunities on the continent.

At the same time, she has won the race for the job from hell. That much was clear when her predecessor – Brazil’s Robert Azevêdo – quit the post early after years of frustration at the logjams in negotiation on reforming the WTO.

Those negotiations have been made harder still by the eruption of a trade war between the US and China alongside sporadic outbreaks of economic nationalism across the globe.

READ MORE WTO: Who is backing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s bid?

Surely this must be the worst time to take over an organization dedicated to multilateral trade agreements, The Africa Report asked Okonjo-Iweala during the campaign. “Multilateralism has never been needed more than now,” she said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that this is the time we need to act in solidarity to have multilateral solutions because there are simply some things in the world that bilateral or even sub-regional solutions cannot solve.”

On the distribution of vaccines and drugs to fight the pandemic, Okonjo-Iweala said she would prioritize open access: “Being involved in COVID-19 and vaccines now as the chair of GAVI and an envoy on the Act accelerator, I’m seeing it from the front lines and we want to make sure that we don’t have a situation where access to vaccines for other countries where they are not made is blocked … The world is so interconnected now that no one is safe until everyone is safe, and no country is safe until all countries are safe.”

This, she acknowledged, will take tough negotiations with the drugs companies and with national governments but she insisted it would take top priority: “This is an area where we really need to think through the trade regime and the rules that will govern these kinds of products, whilst respecting country’s desires to do a minimum for their security.”

SOURCE: The US vows never to recognize Okonjo Iweala’s appointment as the New WTO director-general

y is USA so arrogant like dis, must dey always dictate,abeg let Africa rule and say no to racism.

Trump's one last display of racism.

Vote in November!

wetin dey do USA sef.




#TrumpTheRacistMustGo

That is all Trump.

Mr Racist himself.

I tell some nugget heads on this forum that trumps racism is off the charts. He will never allow a black African woman rise to such a sensitive position. It will be a miracle, unless the group stands up to him

Trump is a vile, racist imbeci1e.

Can’t wait for nov.

IPOB, how far your love for Donald Trump?

Thank you Buhari
Thank you Hushpuppi
Thank you Invictus Obi

Madam Ngozi even if you don't win this, you've represented us well and history has been made.

E be like say Trump dey sick for head!!!

rossoki:
That is all Trump.

Mr Racist himself.

If you're Trump or an average American, will you trust a woman from corrupt Nigeria with such a sensitive office or a South Korean, a woman from an ally and friendly country?

SK and US have strong ties and it's no rocket science that they will stick with them at this time.

Ngozi will still win though whether US supports her or not.

Damikjay:
y is USA so arrogant like dis, must dey always dictate,abeg let Africa rule and say no to racism.

It's Buhari's fault!
He has ridiculed our Country

How can Trump support someone with a lifeless being as the President.

na their own problem be that oooo.
make I no talk too much like femi adesina

J111333:
If you're Trump or an average American, will you trust a woman from corrupt Nigeria with such a sensitive office or a South Korean, a woman from an ally and friendly country?

SK and US have strong ties and it's no rocket science that they will stick with them at this time.

Ngozi will still win though whether US supports her or not.

Your love for oyinbo overshadows the love got yourself.

Shame.

J111333:
If you're Trump or an average American, will you trust a woman from corrupt Nigeria with such a sensitive office or a South Korean, a woman from an ally and friendly country?

SK and US have strong ties and it's no rocket science that they will stick with them at this time.

Ngozi will still win though whether US supports her or not.

Nigeria it s not about corrupt people alone,we also have good and hard working people inside n outside Nigeria. There must be a different reason to justify the US stand,she can not be held responsible for the sins of some Nigerians.

Commentor:


Your love for oyinbo overshadows the love got yourself.

Shame.

Actually what he said is the truth. You remember during Barack Obama time when she was suppose to be the president of world Bank but he made he VP.

They likely postponed it post election for a reason

Where are the Trump lovers? Hope you can see what the racist pig is doing to Ngozi Okonjo Iweala?

They feel China may have influence on the woman if appointed.

rontolo:
I tell some nugget heads on this forum that trumps racism is off the charts. He will never allow a black African woman rise to such a sensitive position. It will be a miracle, unless the group stands up to him

Trump is a vile, racist imbeci1e.

Can’t wait for nov.

It's very simple, the value of trade between US-South Korea is over 160 billion dollars while that of US-Nigeria is just 11billion dollars.
What is US gaining from Nigeria and why will they support madam Ngozi over a strong allies' candidate?
We should go to China now...
USA supporting madam Ngozi does not make economic sense...

naijaking1:
Trump's one last display of racism.

Vote in November!

Are you certain is Racism? Trump trade policy is in a completely different direction. Why would he support her? Anyone paying attention to geopolitical affairs knew this.

rontolo:
I tell some nugget heads on this forum that trumps racism is off the charts. He will never allow a black African woman rise to such a sensitive position. It will be a miracle, unless the group stands up to him

Trump is a vile, racist imbeci1e.

Can’t wait for nov.

Sharap what has racism got to to with this ...is it not the same Trump that has been appointing blacks everwhere ...if you don't understand International politics just keep quiet

OP your headline is deliberately misleading , there IS never vowed anywhere ...she willl be cleared when all negotiation are done

None of you bothered to check the source.

USA is not stupid to make utterance being peddled here.

By guided.

WTO work is not agbero work where you exchange uncut words

I Pray, She Win.

naijaking1:
Trump's one last display of racism.

Vote in November!

I really pray he loses

mideactive:


Nigeria it s not about corrupt people alone,we also have good and hard working people inside n outside Nigeria. There must be a different reason to justify the US stand,she can not be held responsible for the sins of some Nigerians.

The US is actually holding her responsible for her actions in Nigeria, I won't hire that woman to do anything, not even a bank cashier.

The US saw everything she did in Nigeria as a public official, they saw how she facilitated and supervised corruption, how she staged looting and stealing schemes and especially her incompetence.

They saw how she stole $2.3 Billion, how she dodged responsibility and accountability for that money even though she saw what happened to that money, she saw how Dasuki ATM turned that money int to ATM pocket money for GEJ and the likes of FFK, Metuh, Fayose and others.

She was so incompetent that money was disappearing all over the federal bureaucracy right under her nose, all the money generating agencies did not remit 1 kobo into the national accounts and she said nothing, she did nothing.

Under her watch, Nigeria accumulated the largest revenue from oil in the history of Nigeria, but by the time she left office, she was borrowing hundreds of billions to pay workers salary and even declared austerity measures when oil was selling for $77 billion.

Her record here in Nigeria was incompetence, abdication of responsibility and lack of care.

Does USA realize Ngozi is a US citizen?

After all the demonstration, support and contributions for Trump.

NGpatriot:



The US is actually holding her responsible for her actions in Nigeria, I won't hire that woman to do anything, not even a back cashier.

The US saw everything she did in Nigeria as a public official, they saw how she facilitated and supervised corruption, how she staged looting and stealing schemes and especially her incompetence.

They saw how she stole $2.3 Billion, how she dodged responsibility and accountability for that money even though she saw what happened to that money, she saw how Dasuki ATM turned that money int to ATM pocket money for GEJ and the likes of FFK, Metuh, Fayose and others.

She was so incompetent that money was disappearing all over the federal bureaucracy right under her nose, all the money generating agencies did not remit 1 kobo into the national accounts and she said nothing, she did nothing.

Under her watch, Nigeria accumulated the largest revenue from oil in the history of Nigeria, but by the time she left office, she was borrowing hundreds of billions to pay workers salary and even declared austerity measures when oil was selling for $77 billion.

Her record here in Nigeria was incompetence, abdication of responsibility and lack of care.

Most people are impressed by her CV but when you ask what has she actually accomplished they have nothing tangible to reference. This is the same woman trained by institutions (World Bank, IMF, Brookings etc) that have destroyed developing economies all over the world. I mean she is literally an agent for white supremacy.

I will be the last Nigerian and African that will sit in my country and Support other people's election that doesn't concern me. America don't give a damn about us.

laiperi:

Does USA realize Ngozi is a US citizen?

After all the demonstration, support and contributions for Trump.

Trump has touched one of our own...the little love we have left for him has expired...Trump is a Goat

Mysticwebb:
They feel China may have influence on the woman if appointed.

Despite her obtaining American citizenship? This is just Trump racism pure and simple

J111333:
If you're Trump or an average American, will you trust a woman from corrupt Nigeria with such a sensitive office or a South Korean, a woman from an ally and friendly country?

SK and US have strong ties and it's no rocket science that they will stick with them at this time.

Ngozi will still win though whether US supports her or not.

Another waste of precious oxygen. Post history shows a trump supporter. Not surprised