- As Nigeria Withdraws Ambassador Frederick Agah’s Candidacy
As global horse trading to fill the position of Director General of World Trade Organization (WTO) intensifies among countries of the world, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the nomination of renowned economist and former World Bank Chief, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position.
Through the action, President Buhari also withdrew the candidacy of Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah who had earlier been nominated by the Nigerian Government for the coveted job.
Agah is the Deputy to the current WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo, a Brazilian who has held the position since 2013.
Communicating the development to Embassies and Permanent Missions of African countries in Addis Ababa to rally support for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, Nigerian Embassy and Permanent Mission to the African Union (AU) in Ethiopia in a letter dated 4th June, 2020 and sighted by The New Diplomat wrote: “The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Permanent Mission to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) presents its compliments to all Embassies and Permanent Missions in Addis Ababa, and has the honor to inform that the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the candidacy of Ambassador Yonov Frederick AGAH for election to the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“In this regard, Mission also wishes to inform that His Excellency, President Muhammadu BUHARI has approved the nomination of Dr. Ngozi OKONJO-IWEALA to replace Ambassador AGAH, as Nigeria’s Candidate for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), for the term 2021 — 2025 at the elections scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021.”
In the letter which contained a copy of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s resume and biography, Nigeria requested the support of all member-states of AU to support her bid to emerge as the WTO DG.
“Nigeria is therefore pleased to request the support of esteemed AU Member-States, as well as Permanent Missions and Embassies in Addis Ababa, in favor of the candidacy of Dr. OKONJO-IWEALA. A copy of Dr. Ngozi OKONJO-IWEALA’s Resume/Biography is attached herewith for ease of reference.”
While re-echoing her impeccable credentials, the embassy stated that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is a “renowned global finance expert, is an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience, having worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.
“Dr. OKONJO-IWEALA is presently the Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has immunized over 760 million children across the globe. She also sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc. She was recently appointed as African Union (AU) Special Envoy to mobilise International Financial Support in the fight against COVID-19, as well as Special Envoy for the World Health Organization’s Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
“Dr. OKONJO-IWEALA served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, from 2003-2006, 20112015 and briefly as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions. She had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No. 2 position of Managing Director (Operations). As Finance Minister, Dr. OKONJO-IWEALA steered Nigeria through varying degree of reforms, particularly on macroeconomic, trade, financial and real sector issues.
“As Managing Director (Operations) at the World Bank, her several portfolios included oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia. Dr OKONJO-IWEALA spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008-2009 food crisis and later in the trying period of the global financial crisis.
“In 2010, she served as Chair of the World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low interest credit for the poorest countries in the world,” the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia wrote in the letter.
