ECOWAS endorses Okonjo-Iweala for WTO DG election

Uche Usim, Abuja

Former Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has secured the blessings of the 15 Heads of State and Governments that make up the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to vie for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The endorsement was contained in a statement dated June 19 and signed by the ECOWAS President and President of Niger, Mr Mahamadou Issoufou.

The West African leaders in the statement urged other countries across the globe to support Okonjo-Iweala, judging by her rich resume and robust international exposure.

The statement reads:

‘Since the creation of the WTO on January 1, 1995, which is a successor to the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) established on January 1, 1948, no African has assumed the position of Director-General of the organisation.’

Meanwhile, government sources told Daily Sun that plans were afoot to use different diplomatic levers to push for the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala as the next WTO Chief Executive Officer.