By Abiola Olawale
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said the endorsement of Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s top job by President Joe Biden’s administration marks a shift in the relations between Africa and the United States.
Buhari who reacted to the endorsement in a statement released by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said the development is a great news for Nigeria and Africa at large, adding that the country will continue to work closely with the Biden administration on all developmental fronts.
Buhari stated that he is delighted with the US move, as the Nigerian economist is now set to become the first woman and the first African to lead the trade organization.
The statement reads, “Nigeria and the entire African continent are happy about this new U.S position, which signifies a shift and an important turnaround in the relations between our continent and the United States under the Biden administration. We certainly welcome the decision of the new U.S administration to remove the last obstacle in the path of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to becoming the first female and the first person of African descent to lead the organization. Today, we see that the United States stands with Nigeria and Africa with the acceptance of our widely respected citizen, Okonjo-Iweala to lead the WTO. We look forward to working very closely with the new U.S administration on this and all issues of common interests, especially in such areas as accelerated economic growth, fight against terrorism and deepening progress on development issues.”
Earlier, The New Diplomat had reported President Biden endorsed Nigeria’s candidate for the Director General position at WTO, months after the Trump administration threw spanner in the works, stalling Okonjo-Iweala’s emergence despite securing enough support from the WTO member-states in October 2020.
The U.S endorsement of Okonjo-Iweala follows Yoo Myung-hee’s withdrawal from the race, Friday, leaving the former Minister as the sole candidate for the position.
Okonjo-Iweala who took to her Twitter handle to react to the endorsement, said she was grateful for the support from the US, throwing their weight behind her candidacy for the Director General. She also appreciated President Buhari and Nigerians for their unflinching support since she threw her hat into the ring for the job.
It would be recalled that, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, served as her country’s first female finance and foreign minister, and has a 25-year career behind her as a development economist at the World Bank, eventually becoming its number two. She is also on the Twitter board of directors and is a special envoy for the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 fight.
