Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Nigeria’s Candidate for World Trade Organisation’s DG Election

President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Nigeria’s candidate, for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Tolu Ogunlesi, the SA to the President on digital and new media, announced the nomination on his Twitter account.

He tweeted:

President @MBuhari has nominated @NOIweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position of DG of @wto. DG Azevedo is stepping down in August 2020, a year early, so the election of a new DG, originally scheduled for 2021, may take place much earlier.

In a five-page document obtained by THISDAY, it states that Buhari withdrew the candidacy of Yonov Frederik Agah, Nigeria’s permanent representative to WTO, for the same position, and the election is scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland, 2021.

The statement reads:

The embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and permanent mission to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) presents compliments to all embassies and permanent missions in Addis Ababa and has the honour to inform that the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the candidacy of Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah for election to the position of Director-General of the WTO.

In this regard, Mission also wishes to inform that his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the nomination of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to replace Ambassador Agah, as Nigeria’s candidacy for the position of the Director-General of the WTO.

“Nigeria is therefore pleased to request the support of esteemed AU member states as well as permanent missions and embassies in Addis Ababa in favour of the candidacy of Okonjo-Iweala.