In a recent statement, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, refuted a viral Facebook post that claimed she had criticized the Nigerian government over the country’s growing debt. The post, which has since been debunked, alleged that Okonjo-Iweala had expressed shock at Nigeria’s debt reaching N24 trillion in just two months, despite the removal of fuel subsidies.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian Finance Minister, warned that unknown individuals are misusing her name and image to spread false information and fuel political debates. She cautioned those behind the post and several others on the internet against using her name and image to fight their battles.
The debunked post quoted Okonjo-Iweala as saying, “Nigeria’s debt for the first time in history has risen to N24 trillion in just two months even after removing subsidy is something unbelievable.” However, Okonjo-Iweala clarified that she never made such statements, and the message is entirely fake.
The WTO chief’s warning comes as Nigeria’s total public debt stock, including external and domestic debts, increased by ₦24.33 trillion in three months alone, from ₦97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) in December 2023 to ₦121.67trn in March 31, 2024, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).
Okonjo-Iweala’s statement reads, “It appears that there are people in Nigeria trying to use my name and image on social media to fight battles on different sides of the political divide, putting words in my mouth that I never said. Therefore, I want to alert everyone that the message below is FAKE. This is a stern warning to all those trying to misuse my name for their political ends that I will continue to rebut any attempts to use my name and image falsely.”
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
