No Opposition as Okonjo-Iweala Emerges Sole Candidate for WTO Director-General Role
No additional nominations for the position had been received by the deadline of November 8, therefore, Incumbent Director-General Okonjo-Iweala is the only candidate for the role.
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been confirmed as the sole candidate for the position of Director-General at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The WTO announced that the former Nigerian finance minister is willing to serve a second term in the organization’s top role. In a statement released on Saturday, the WTO said, “Nominations for Director-General have closed; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been confirmed as the sole candidate.”
Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council, informed WTO members on November 9 that no additional nominations for the position had been received by the deadline of November 8. Therefore, Incumbent Director-General Okonjo-Iweala is the only candidate for the role.
On September 16, Okonjo-Iweala expressed her willingness to accept a second four-year term in a letter to the Chair. The WTO officially initiated the process for appointing its next Director-General on October 8, with members having until November 8 to submit nominations.
The chair of the General Council will communicate the next steps in this appointment process in the coming days. The WTO stated that the process was conducted according to the “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General.”
Okonjo-Iweala’s current term will conclude on August 31, 2025. She was appointed as the WTO Director-General on February 15, 2021, making her the first woman and the first African to lead the organization.
Upon her appointment, Okonjo-Iweala outlined her priorities, which included advancing stalled trade negotiations on fishery subsidies and revitalizing the WTO’s Appellate Body.
She has served as Nigeria’s finance minister twice (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and held the position of the country’s first female foreign minister for a brief period in 2006.
Known as a trailblazer in her homeland, Okonjo-Iweala has addressed criticisms regarding her experience as a trade minister or negotiator.
