Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala wins second term as WTO chief

Nigerian economist, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was unanimously reappointed on Friday for a second four-year term as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Trade sources said her early reappointment could be seen as an effort to avoid a veto by incoming United States president Donald Trump, a suggestion the WTO has dismissed.

In 2020, his previous administration sought to block Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment, and she only secured US backing when President Joe Biden succeed him in the White House.

Trump has a history of hostility towards the WTO as a place for resolving trade disputes.

He has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China when he returns to office in January.

This will violate US trade commitments and ratchet up trade tensions with both friendly and adversarial nations. 

Okonjo-Iweala says the WTO is looking forward to working with the new administration and plans to take a very constructive and creative approach.

The former Nigerian finance minister says she is committed to delivering results that ultimately improve the lives of people around the world.