By Tony Nwaka
Indication has emerged that the Heads of State and Governments of the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have thrown their weight behind the candidature of Nigeria’s two-term former minister and erstwhile Managing Director (Operations) of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the position of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The West African leaders’ position was made known in a statement signed by President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, who doubles as ECOWAS President.
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
President Mahamadou Issoufou in the statement dated June 19, 2020, urged other African countries as well as non-African countries to endorse her candidature for the coveted job.
“Since the creation of the WTO on January 1, 1995, which is a successor to the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) established on January 1, 1948, no African has assumed the position of Director-General of the organisation,” the leaders argued.
source: www.footprint2africa.com