Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been confirmed as the sole running candidate for the director general position of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This was confirmed by Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council, who informed WTO members on November 9 that no further nominations for the position of Director-General had been received by the deadline of November 8.
The incumbent Director-General, Okonjo-Iweala, is therefore the only candidate for the role.
Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her intention to serve a second four-year term in the role in a letter to the Chair on September 16.
On October 8, the WTO formally commenced the process for appointing its next Director-General, with members given until November 8 to submit nominations.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister and World Bank Managing Director, made history by becoming the first woman and African to lead the organisation when members appointed her in March 2021 in a race that was tight.
In 2021, Okonjo-Iweala outcompeted all African candidates – Egypt’s Abdel Hamid Mamdouh and Kenya’s Amina Mohamed – thanks to her stellar career at the World Bank and other global leadership positions, which convinced many of her supporters then that her experience matched perfectly the demand of the top position.
