The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurates a campaign team to develop strategies for Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as she prepares to contest for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
The campaign strategy team was inaugurated in Abuja by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Richard Adebayo. The minister says it is vital to inaugurate the campaign team to ensure that the Nigerian candidate emerged as the DG of the WTO.
The minister discloses this in a statement issued in Abuja through his ministry’s Assistance Director of Information, Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa.
The statement is titled, “Adebayo inaugurates campaign strategy team for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s post for DG WTO.”
Adebayo adds that the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari (retd), to nominate Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position is in good faith.
Noting that it is based on the overriding consideration of the need to boost Africa’s chance and for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at the world’s top trade post.
The minister expresses optimism that Okonjo-Iweal would emerge the DG of the WTO based on her capabilities and wealth of experience at the highest level of World Bank, as a development economist, diplomat and one of most trusted technocrats in Africa.
Adebayo says, “An eminently qualified candidate in the position of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with proven leadership, bold reformer, skillful negotiator with abilities to broker numerous agreements that would promote fair trade should be selected for the position.
“I am confident that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala possess the qualities to lead the most important global multilateral body.”
The minister urges the team to develop a winning strategy for the candidate and calls on stakeholders to give necessary support to the Nigerian candidate.
“My belief is that the team will intensify its level of dedication over time to ensure that we achieve success,” Adeboye stated.
The campaign team is headed by the Minister of State, Mariam Katagum. She assured the minister that members of the team would deliver on the assignment in line with the terms of reference.
Other members of the team constitute officials of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Others include representatives from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigerian Ambassador to ECOWAS and African Union, as well as Geneva–based officials.
