On 1 March 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala walked into the World Trade Organization’s headquarters in Geneva as its new Director-General. She was the first woman and the first African to lead it.
Early life
Okonjo-Iweala was born in Ogwashi-Ukwu, in what is now Delta State, Nigeria. She studied economics at Harvard University and earned a doctorate in regional economics and development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
World Bank
She spent about 25 years at the World Bank, rising to managing director, one of its most senior positions. She oversaw operations in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central Asia.
Finance minister
Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s finance minister, under Olusegun Obasanjo and later under Goodluck Jonathan. In her first term, she led negotiations that secured major debt relief for Nigeria from the Paris Club of creditors in 2005.
She also briefly served as foreign minister. Her reforms and her fight against corruption made her admired by some and resented by others. During her second term, her mother was kidnapped, an ordeal she later linked to her work.
Gavi
After leaving government, she chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supports vaccination in poorer countries. The role put her at the centre of global health just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The WTO race
In 2020, Okonjo-Iweala ran to lead the WTO. Most member countries backed her, but the United States under President Donald Trump initially opposed her. After Joe Biden took office, the US supported her, and she was appointed in February 2021, taking office on 1 March.
At the WTO
As Director-General, she pushed for agreements on fisheries subsidies and for trade rules to help vaccine access during the pandemic. She was reappointed for a second term.
Author
Okonjo-Iweala has written books about her experience in government, including Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous, which describes the pressures she faced as finance minister, and a book on reforming Nigeria’s economy.
Citizenship and style
Okonjo-Iweala also holds American citizenship. She is known for her bold African print outfits and headwraps, which she wears at international meetings.
Firsts
Many global institutions have been led by the same kinds of people for decades. Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment changed the picture at the WTO, and her headwrap at trade negotiations became a small symbol of that change.
