Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala assumes office as DG of the World Trade Organization

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was pictured on her 1st day at work as Director-General of the World Trade Organization this morning March 1.

She was confirmed for the job on February 15. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made history as the first woman and first African to take up this position.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was born on June 13 1954 in Ogwashi Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria. Her father Professor Chukwuka Okonjo was the Obi (King) from the Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was educated at Queen’s School, Enugu, St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan and the International School, Ibadan.

She arrived in the US in 1973 as a teenager to study at Harvard University graduating magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976.

In 1981, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala earned her PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a thesis titled Credit policy, rural financial markets, and Nigeria’s agricultural development.

She received an international fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that supported her doctoral studies.

She is married to Mr. Ikemba Iweala, a family physician from Umuahia, Abia State and they have four children including author Uzodinma Iweala.

She sits on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the African Risk Capacity (ARC).

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spent a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, scaling the ranks to the number two position of managing director, operations (2007–2011).

She also served two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria (2003–2006, 2011–2015) under President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan respectively.

She was the first woman to serve as the country’s finance minister, the first woman to serve in that office twice, and the only finance minister to have served under two different presidents.

During her campaign to become the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it was revealed that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became a US citizen in 2019 after spending several decades working and studying there.

As a renowned Nigerian-American economist and international development expert, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala resumed work today March 1, 2021 as Director-General of the World Trade Organization.