It was probably not surprising that the Trump Administration should veto Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala taking up director-general post at the World Trade Organisation. It was in the cards with former US President Donald Trump’s lamented disdain for international affairs. To borrow the cliché, that now is so water under the bridge. But the letter by former senior US government officials urging President Joe Biden to consider her for the post speaks not so much for her clout as that many of America’s top cream should show so much confidence in her. Among the more than 35 leaders in academia, civil society, the private sector and government officials who penned the letter include Ambassadors Johnnie Carson and Jendayi Frazer, arguably two of the most persuasive diplomats for their intimate familiarity with Africa and its talent. Adding to the heft of the endorsement is the 2001 Nobel Laureate for Economics, Joseph E. Stiglitz. For her selection to head the WTO and in recognition of her many accomplishments, Dr Okonjo-Iweala was also chosen as the most promising African of the Year 2020 by Forbes Africa—not a mean feat. Clearly, with such backing, the Nigerian economist, who is also a US citizen, must have what it takes for the job. She has been described as a consummate diplomat. She previously was Managing Director at the World Bank and was a two-term finance minister of Nigeria. Among other prominent positions, she formerly chaired the board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). If President Biden agrees to vouch for her, she will be the first woman and African to head the WTO. The letter mentions concerns about global trade, nodding at imperfections at the World Trade Organisation. It the new US president that, with her experience and leadership ability, she will be relied upon to pay due attention to the issues of concern. President Biden will, no doubt, be familiar with the WTO challenges. American criticisms of the organisation have been bipartisan, irking both the Democrats and Republicans. These concerns include the time it takes to settle disputes and what successive US administrations have viewed as judicial overreach in some areas, such as anti-dumping cases. The Biden administration will likely also share its predecessor’s concerns about China’s non-tariff barriers and subsidy programmes. These issues, including restoring the WTO’s spattering dispute settlement system, are considerable but Dr Okonjo-Iweala should be up to the challenge. Her experience with multilateralism from her time at the World Bank and GAVI will come in handy. It would be in line with President Biden’s appreciation of multilateral coalitions. One can see this with the United States rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health organisation immediately the president took the Oval Office. Some have wondered what the WTO has to do with the average African somewhere in the village if Dr Okonjo-Iweala gets to lead the organisation. The answer is probably not very obvious, but WTO’s activities affect everyone’s lives – “From the small trader who crosses a border several times a month, to the consumer buying an imported item in a market, to someone with a job in a manufacturing industry: they are all affected by [WTO] rules of trade.” Last year, as the campaign for WTO leadership was most heated, Dr Okonjo-Iweala explained to the BBC how, if she took it, it was the ordinary African that she was most concerned with. She explained that she wanted to figure out how to get women and youth, who are behind these engines of growth in Africa, to benefit more from world trade. She was also keen to make sure that the continent moves away from exporting raw materials and instead “adds value to the goods or products we produce for the global market. For instance,” she said, “we import 94 per cent of pharmaceuticals on the continent while we can produce these locally in Africa.” Her taking up WTO leadership can only be a boon for the continent, even as it is the world she will be concerned about.
