The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the campaign strategy team for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who is vying for the post of the next director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Richard Adeniyi Adebayo who performed the inauguration of the team in Abuja said the setting up of a campaign strategy team was critical in ensuring that the Nigerian candidate emerges as the director general of the WTO.
The minister noted that the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position was taken in good faith, given the overriding consideration of the need to host Africa’s chance and for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at the world’s top trade post.
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He expressed optimism that the Nigerian candidate would emerge as the next director general of WTO, based on her capabilities and wealth of experience at the highest level of the World Bank as a development economist, diplomat and one of the Africa’s most trusted technocrats.
According to Adebayo, “an eminently qualified candidate in the position of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala with proven leadership, bold reformer, skillful negotiator with abilities to broker numerous agreements that would promote fair trade should be selected for the position of the director general of the WTO; I am confident that Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala possesses the qualities to lead the most important global multilateral body’.
He therefore charged the team to develop winning strategy for the candidate and also called on stakeholders, media, public, private and trading partners to give necessary support that Nigerian candidate requires to emerge as the WTO director general for the term 2021 – 2025.
“My belief is that the team will intensify its level of dedication over time to ensure that we achieve success”, he stated.
The minister of state, Mariam Katagum, who is the leader of the campaign strategy team gave an assurance of the full commitment of members of the team to deliver on its mandate, “We must all get to work as a team in the most strategic and professional manner to deliver on this important assignment in line with the Terms of Reference”, she stated.
Katagum also expressed confidence that Okonjo – Iweala would surely emerge as the next director general of WTO considering her pedigree and commitment in ensuring sustainable development and economic growth not only for Africa but the world at large.
The campaign strategy team comprised of officials of the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment, ministry of foreign affairs; representatives of the office of the chief of staff to the President, office of the secretary to the government of the federation, federal ministry of finance, Nigerian ambassador to ECOWAS and African Union as well as Geneva-based officials.
