Fifty-eight of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have expressed support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to serve a second term as the Director-General.
This support was voiced at a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council, according to a statement by the organization.
The statement read, “The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible.” Many of the 58 countries praised Okonjo-Iweala’s hard work and achievements during her first term.
Okonjo-Iweala, 70, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, “Everything that I’ve accomplished, we’ve accomplished together.” She mentioned that she would consider the members’ call seriously and announce her intentions soon.
Okonjo-Iweala began her term as the seventh WTO Director-General on March 1, 2021. Her term is set to expire on August 31, 2025. She is eligible for a second term. Before leading the WTO, she served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and briefly as Foreign Minister, and had a 25-year career at the World Bank, where she rose to the position of Managing Director, Operations.
