Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria has been reappointed to a second term as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The WTO made this announcement in a post on X on Friday.The reappointment will go into effect on September 1, 2025, according to the WTO General Council.
The Council emphasized that the decision demonstrates widespread acknowledgment of Okonjo-Iweala’s outstanding leadership and strategic vision for the WTO’s future, stating that it unanimously decided to re-appoint her as DG for a second four-year term.
It went on to say that Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, who is the Chair of the General Council, was in charge of the reappointment process, which was started on October 8, 2024.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was the only contender since no further nominations were received by the deadline of November 8. Following the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General” (WT/L/509), the procedure was carried out in a completely open and transparent manner.
“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala presented her vision for the WTO’s future at a special General Council meeting on November 28–29, 2024. After she presented and members asked questions, the Council unanimously approved her reappointment.
“Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s exceptional leadership during her first term is commended by the General Council. She established a forward-looking agenda for the WTO and improved its capacity to assist its members in the face of severe global economic difficulties. At crucial junctures, her leadership was crucial in achieving significant results, such as the 12th and 13th Ministerial Conferences (MC12 and MC13), where major milestones were achieved.”
On March 1, 2021, Okonjo-Iweala became the first African and female director-general of the World Trade Organization.
The last day of her first term is August 31, 2025.
