By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Barring any change in the rule book, the
General Council of World Trade Organisation (WTO) will today (Monday) in Geneva, Switzerland to consider the appointment of next Director-General which Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the sole candidate.
Prompt News reports that the WTO’s General Council’s special meeting holds at exactly 15:00 Geneva time.
According to information available on the website, WTO’s meeting will take place in virtual format.
The leadership change comes as the WTO is in its deepest crisis since it was founded in 1995.
Should Okonjo-Iweala be confirmed today in Geneva, WTO will get its first leader from an African nation even as the renowned Development Economist will also become the first woman to hold the WTO high office in its history.
The Nigerian is also the only remaining candidate for the troubled organization with the recent withdrawal of the South Korean Trade Minister, Yoo Myung Hee, her main rival just as Okonjo-Iweala prevailed over several other candidates in the months-long WTO leadership race.
The Ogwashi-Uku-born, Abia State woman is set to succeed the Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, who left the WTO before the end of his term last August.
Azevedo has since joined United States beverage giant, Pepsico as an Executive.
The troubled WTO is no longer able to settle trade disputes between countries as the United States has blocked the appointment of Appeals Judges.
Former US President Donald J. Trump’s administration sought reforms of the WTO, without clearly spelling out its demands.
In addition, free trade talks have been stalled for years, and the WTO now also faces a global economic crisis.
