By Adedapo Adesanya
The first woman and African to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will seek a second four-year term when her current tenure expires next August.
“We can confirm that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has officially announced her intention to seek a second term as Director-General of the WTO,” her spokesman, Mr Ismaila Dieng, said in a statement on Monday.
Mr Dieng said the 70-year-old diplomat had taken into account “the overwhelming and broad-based support expressed by members”.
Her current term at the helm of the 166-member WTO ends in August 2025.
Her decision to seek another term was officially communicated to WTO chair Norwegian Ambassador Petter Olberg on Monday.
The WTO’s African Group formally requested that she make herself available for a second term at that same meeting, and proposed that the process to re-nominate her should begin as soon as possible.
So far no other candidates have come forward.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, who took over in March 2021, has hinged her leadership on breathing new life into the sclerotic organisation.
The former foreign and finance minister of Nigeria sold herself as someone who can bang heads together and get business done.
In July, 58 member countries of the trade association supported a proposal from the African Group backing her reelection after a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council.
“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,” the statement partly read.
“Fifty-eight members, several speaking on behalf of groups of members, took the floor to comment and express their support for the African Group proposal. They called on DG Okonjo-Iweala to make her intentions regarding a second term known as soon as possible. Most of these members praised the DG’s hard work and her achievements during her first term,” a statement added.