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Monrovia, February 2021. As a long time admire of two-times Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; I couldn’t suppress my biases when I heard she would be Nigeria’s nominee for the Director-General position at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO). She represents a symbol of hope for my growth in the development profession for which I have committed my life. There are very few personalities who would stand out based on overwhelming consensus in our respective countries. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala is one such person who commands the confidence of her country people for any professional task winged on integrity. So it did not come as a surprise when President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement of her nomination was greeted with glee from various quarters in Nigeria.

I have seen Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala in actions along my professional path and she has never disappointed her audiences’ expectations of her deliverables and integrity. Over time she has articulated her stance well and built a career that has prepared her the job she is now seeking. I tried to avid the temptation of considering her sex as a quality but it would be a great thing at this point in the 21^st century for the world to have her as the first WTO female Director-General. She will not be coming to this post as an ordinary woman but one of enormous credentials befitting the position that will fix the way we ought to trade for a better world.

Another first that the world should attain at this time in global trade history is to have this African to lead the WTO. Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Minister of Finance and also Minister of Foreign Affairs for Africa’s number one economy – Nigeria. By this portfolio she is in the best position to rally African countries to play by the rules of trade; and will also be able to negotiate better value for Africa’s natural resources with Asian and Western buyers. Trade disproportion has been a contentious issue at the WTO and she has already signaled that she would not accept anything less than ‘fair play’.

Fixing the way the world trades is one of the daunting challenges to wealth creation. This is why it is very crucial for member countries of the WTO to support Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the organization’s top job. She is one of Africa’s best and she is needed for the job at this time that the WTO is struggling to deliver some of its objectives in Africa. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala knows her way around power corridors around the world and she is capable of wooing trading powers to meet the WTO’s objectives. With confidence she made her position known on America’s intend to leave the global body: “Don’t leave now; let’s fix what needs fixing”; a direct reference to current U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

Sole opinion of Mahamed Boakai, Development Professional and Democracy & Governance Expert based in Liberia. This does not, in any way, represent any of my clients.