Breaking: Okonjo-Iweala emerges DG of WTO

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s nominee for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has emerged winner of the competitive race.

Okonjo- Iweala polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat South Korea’s Minister of Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-Hee.

The official announcement is expected to be made later today by WTO.

Okonjo-Iweala was Nigeria’s finance minister during the tenures of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.

She has experience working at international governance bodies as a former managing director of the World Bank and as a chairman at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

Okonjo-Iweala’s success as WTO DG makes her the first African and first female director-general of the international body in its 25-year history.