Former Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has emerged as the Director- General of World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Arise News reports Tuesday afternoon that Okonjo-Iweala defeated her only challenger, South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee by a wide margin.
Okonjo-Iweala polled 104 out of 164 votes from the member countries to defeat The Korea’s Trade Minister, Myung-hee.
Her emergence is expected to be announced formally by the WTO later on Tuesday.
Ngozi was born to a royal family on June 13, 1954. She hails from Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State.
Her parents, Chukwuka and Kamene Okonjo were professors at the University of Ibadan. Okonjo-Iweala’s father is the Obi from the Obahai Royal family of Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State.
She had her secondary education at International School, Ibadan and St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala proceeded to Harvard University where she graduated with an AB honours in Economics in 1977.
She holds a Ph.D in Regional Economics and Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian economist, author and an entrepreneur. She is the first female Finance Minister and the first female Foreign Affairs Minister in Nigeria.
Also the first female and black candidate to contest for the presidency of World Bank Group in 2012.
She was a power woman who during her time as a Minister of Finance spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club of creditors that led to wiping out of US$30 billion Nigerian’s debt.
