Page 7 - The Nile Explorer Magazine 011

People

Ms Ngozi

Okonjo-Iweala

Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

mbassador, Ms Ngozi Okonjo- After completing her primary education, octogenarian mother, professor, Kamene
AIweala 66, is a Nigerian diplomat Ngozi enrolled at the Queen’s School, Okonjo was kidnapped and held in bad
and eminent African, one of the two Enugu. She also schooled at St. Anne’s conditions. She was released, presumably
finalists for the position of director School, Molete, Ibadan, and the after ransom was paid. Paying ransom is
general of the World Trade Organization International School Ibadan before illegal in Nigeria, so details rarely appear
(WTO). The other is Ms Yoo Myung- proceeding to the United States where in the media.
hee of the Republic of Korea. Since 2019, she gained admission to study at Harvard
Ngozi became an American citizen. University. In 1981, she earned her PhD Other books to her credit, include:
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala describes herself in regional economics and development Transparency and Accountability in the
as a WTO outsider in the WTO contest. from the Massachusetts Institute of Management; of Public Funds; Chinua
Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an Technology (MIT). Achebe: Teacher of Light; Reforming
the Unreformable; Economic Reforms:
exceptional political and diplomat, a Her husband, Dr. Ikemba Iweala Progress and Challenges; Fighting
trained economist and a global leader. is a medical doctor practicing in Corruption is Dangerous
She worked at the World Bank in Washington, DC. She is blessed with 4
Washington DC as a development children. For many years, she was an If Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala gets the nod,
economist for over 25 years, rising to economist at the World Bank, rising to she will also be the first Nigerian—and
the No. 2 position of Managing Director, become managing director (the number first African—to lead the WTO. By
a position only second to the Bank’s two position in the bank’s hierarchy. In background she would appear to have
President. She also held the post of 2011, she ran unsuccessfully for the top the strongest reform credentials.
Corporate Secretary and Vice President. World Bank position. In 2012, she was a contested for
She has been twice Nigeria’s finance After the restoration of civilian President of the World Bank, running
minister and once the foreign minister. government in Nigeria in 1999, Ngozi against Dartmouth College President
During the Goodluck Jonathan Okonjo-Iweala returned to Nigeria Jim Yong Kim. Assuming she was
administration she was also coordinating where she served as financial minister elected, she would have been the
minister of the economy. She is currently under President Olusegun Obasanjo organization’s first female president.
the Chairperson of the global vaccine and, briefly, as foreign minister. Okonjo-Iweala was on June 2020,
organization GAVI. A formidable global Under the extraordinarily difficult nominated by President Muhammadu
institution founded by Bill Gates and circumstances of Nigerian governance, Buhari as Nigeria’s candidate to be
his wife Melinda. The organization she largely eliminated the country’s director-general of the World Trade
currently deeply involved in the search Paris Club debt and instituted practical Organization (WTO).
for a COVID-19 vaccine. This is besides measures to increase financial Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has received
working on various vaccine initiatives transparency. She spearheaded numerous recognitions and awards.
globally to end the challenge diseases. negotiations with the Paris Club that Some of them include: Finance Minister
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was born in 1954 led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of the Year, Africa Investor Magazine
in southern Nigeria; her father Professor of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright (2004); TIME’s; Global Finance Minister
Chukwuka Okonjo (father) was an Igbo cancellation of US$18 billion. of the Year, Euromoney (2005); Top
traditional ruler-- the Eze (King) from She has published a book that charts her 100 most inspiring people in the
the Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi- struggle against the country’s endemic World Delivering for Girls and Women
Ukwu--and an academic. Her mother, corruption. Despite her ministerial (Women Deliver, 2011); The Top 100
Kamene Okonjo, is a retired professor, positions, she was not immune to Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011
both worked at the University of Ibadan. the travails of life in Nigeria: her and 2012), among many others.

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