President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Nigeria’s candidate for the vacant position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
She was led to the meeting with the President by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubair Dada; and the Minister of State, Industry Trade and Investment, Maryam Katagun.
READ: WTO: Nigeria’s Ngonzi Okonjo-Iweala still in contention as candidates reduced to 2
This was disclosed in a tweet post by the Special Assistant to the President on New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, on his official twitter handle.
Also present in the meeting with the president is the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari
Okonjo-Iweala is one of the remaining 2 candidates still in the race for the WTO top job.
READ: WTO: Nigeria’s Ngonzi Okonjo-Iweala still in contention as candidates reduced to 2
This is coming a few days after the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his support for Okonjo-Iweala and described her as the right person for the job of the WTO DG as she is capable of repositioning the international trade organization.
Nairametrics had in June 2020, reported the nomination of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, by President Muhammadu Buhari, for the position of Director-General WTO after the reported withdrawal of the candidacy of Yonok Frederik Agah, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to WTO.
READ: FG meets group to access AfCFTA’s $650 billion market
Nigeria’s Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Korean Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee, made it to the third and final round of voting for the top job at WTO on the November 7 from an initial shortlisted of 8 candidates that were later pruned down to 5 candidates.
Whoever wins the contest with a decision is expected to take over an organization mired in multiple crises, trade conflicts and struggling to help member states navigate a severe global economic slump triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The pair received a boost earlier this week when EU member states officially threw their weight behind them.
President Buhari has given his support and that of his administration to her effort to clinch the position.
Nigeria’s candidate for @wto DG, @NOIweala, with COS to the President Prof Ibrahim Gambari, at the State House this afternoon. #AsoVillaToday pic.twitter.com/LvSxneN1UQ
— Tolu Ogunlesi, MON (@toluogunlesi) October 12, 2020
