Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and World Trade Organization DG job hopeful, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has emerged Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2020.
She becomes the second Nigerian to win the award in a space of one year, and the first Nigerian woman to do so. Her former ministerial colleague and current African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina was named winner of the award in 2019. The AfDB President has won the award twice.
Other notable Nigerians who have won the award are former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammad Sanusi II who won the maiden edition of the award in 2011, while President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote clinched the award in 2014.
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Okonjo-Iweala while reacting to the news dedicated the award to Africans suffering health and socio-economic challenges of COVID-19 during a very tough year
“It is a great honour to serve Africa in different capacities. I look forward to deploying my energies at the WTO for Africa and the world,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala is in pole position to be named the next WTO DG, her candidacy gained wider support over her South Korean opponent, Yoo Myung-hee. She awaits the announcement of the new date for the meeting where members are expected to reach a decision on a new Director-General.
