American global business magazine, Forbes, has named the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, amongst the world’s most powerful women for the eighth time.
The DG of the WTO also made the Forbes magazine cover alongside global popstar Taylor Swift and English royalty Princess Meghan. In her appreciation tweet, Iweala recognised other African women on the list while appreciating Forbes for the recognition.
Congratulations to all my sisters on the list, and in particular, my African sisters, HE Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia, HE Suminwa Judith, PM of DRC, Mpumi Madisa, CEO of Bidvest, Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Group, and HE Mia Amormottley, PM of Barbados.
Iweala, in appreciation of the recognition, reiterated her commitment to fight for and reform the rules-based multilateral trading system, which the world needs to avoid a chaotic approach to world trade that would hurt the smallest and the least powerful countries.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is currently in her second tenure and was a two-time Nigerian minister of finance during the administrations of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan. She was the first woman to hold this position in the West African country and also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Her tenure as the minister of finance under President Goodluck Jonathan was marked by bold reforms like the removal of fuel subsidy, which was largely unpopular and sparked nationwide protests.
She also witnessed a harrowing experience after criminal elements kidnapped her mother during her tenure as minister of finance. Her travails during her time in office prompted her to write a book titled “Fighting Corruption in Nigeria is Dangerous,” narrating her travails while in office.
Iweala follows the trails of female world beaters who made their marks in various works of life, and her recognition by Forbes is well placed and deserved.
