Not another run: Okonjo-Iweala denies interest in World Trade Organisation job

by Stanley Azuakola

Ramin Talaie/European Pressphoto Agency

In a year’s time, the head of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy will step down.

Already there are speculations on who will succeed him. while two people have declared interest in the job. They are New Zealand’s trade minister Tim Groser and Ghana’s former trade minister Alan Kyerematen, whose candidacy has been approved by the African Union (AU).

Nigeria’s finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has heard her name also being mentioned in the mix. But, she has not wasted any time in coming out forcefully to say that she has no interest in replacing Pascal Lamy. Her position was made known in a statement from the Finance Ministry on Thursday.

“For the avoidance of doubt,” the emailed statement read, “Dr Okonjo-Iweala is not a candidate for the leadership of the WTO. She has also not expressed any interest whatsoever in the position.”

Okonjo-Iweala ran unsuccessfully for president of the World Bank in April, losing out to Jim Yong Kim, the American nominee. Her candidacy, which gained strong endorsements, was the first time in the Bank’s history that the United States’ hold on the job was challenged.

Developing and emerging economies will want one of their own to lead the WTO, after the top jobs at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank went to a European and an American.

Formal nominations for the position are not due until December, but trade diplomats are already assessing chances and gathering names.

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