From World Bank Leadership to the WTO: Her International Impact

In 2012, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made history as the first female and African candidate to contest for the presidency of the World Bank Group, backed by Africa and major developing countries in the first truly contestable race for the world’s highest development finance post. Though she narrowly lost, her candidacy showcased her vision for inclusive global financial systems.

She continued her international service by chairing GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance from 2016 to 2020, the African Risk Capacity (2014-2020) and Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. In GAVI, she played a pivotal role in COAX initiative. This effort ensured equitable vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served as Senior Advisor at Lazard and sat on the Boards of Standard Chartered Plc and Twitter Inc.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was appointed as an AU COVID-19 Special Envoy and WHO COVID-19 Special Envoy. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Rockefeller Foundation. She co-chaired the G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing for Pandemic Preparedness and was one of the founders of the COVAX Facility, designed to get affordable vaccines to Low and Low Middle-Income Countries.

She is also a member or chair of numerous boards and advisory groups: ONE Campaign, the World Resources Institute, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Nelson Mandela Institution, Friends of the Global Fund Africa, and the African Institutes of Science and Technology as well as the Center for Global Development (CGD).

In March 2021, she was appointed Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), becoming the first African and the first woman to hold this position. Her tenure has focused on enhancing trade for developing nations and addressing climate change’s impact on global commerce. She also navigated complex trade negotiations and advocated for reforms to strengthen the multilateral trading system.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed for a second four-year term on November 29, 2024. The unanimous decision by the WTO General Council to reappoint her reflects the global community’s confidence in her leadership and vision for international trade. Her leadership, marked by resilience and visionary, showcases her unwavering commitment to building an inclusive global economy. As a two-term Director-General, she is setting new standards and paving the way for future generations of leaders, particularly women and Africans, in international trade and governance.

To be continued here