- ‘I’m Honoured’, WTO DG Reacts As Harry, Meghan Hail Her Selection
- Biden, Trump, Elon Musk, Naomi Osaka, Others Named
TIME magazine on Wednesday released its full list of world’s 100 most influential people of 2021, naming the Director-General of World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala among global leaders recognised.
The 18th annual list of influential people includes 10 climate leaders, dozens of advocates, political leaders, 54 women.
A picture of Okonjo-Iweala, who is the only Nigerian on the list, also donned the cover page of the TIME magazine.
Also on the list are Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan, US President, Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese politician Xi Jinping, former US President Donald Trump, Naomi Osaka, Britney Spears, Angelique Kidjo, Elon Musk.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are the cover for the 2021 edition of the Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Minister of Finance in Nigeria made history earlier this year by becoming the first African and the first female Director-General of the WTO.
Speaking on the honour, Prince Harry and Meghan were full of praise for Okonjo-Iweala, lauding her selection in the list. They also described Okonjo-Iweala as a passionate and energetic woman.
“As the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, a 164-member group of nations that oversees trade across the world, Okonjo-Iweala took on the role of director-general this March at a watershed moment for our global health and well-being. Make no mistake, her job affects every person, family and community.
“As we face a constant barrage of vaccine misinformation, bureaucratic slowdowns across both government and industry, and the rise of variants that underscore the urgency of the situation, Okonjo-Iweala has shown us that to end the pandemic, we must work together to equip every nation with equitable vaccine access.
“The fragility of our world right now cannot be overstated. Just over a quarter of the nearly 8 billion global population is fully vaccinated.
“Achieving vaccine equity is a global duty of compassion for one another. Our hope is that guided by strong leaders like Ngozi, we can get there soon,” Prince Harry and Meghan said.
The former minister of finance has also reacted to the recent achievement on her official twitter page. Okonjo-Iweala described the achievement as an honour. The DG also appreciated Prince Harry and Meghan for their kind words.
She tweeted, “Honored and privileged to be on the cover of Time Magazine and to be recognized as one of the Worlds most influential leaders! Profound thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their kind words. All Glory to God! @WTO @TIME”
