Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Confirmed as Sole Candidate for WTO Director-General Position

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is poised for re-election as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after emerging as the sole candidate following the close of nominations on November 8.

The WTO confirmed this development in a statement released on November 9. According to Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the WTO General Council, no additional nominations for the Director-General position were received by the deadline, making Okonjo-Iweala the only candidate in the running.

“Ambassador Ølberg informed WTO members that the incumbent, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the sole nominee for the role,” the WTO statement read. Okonjo-Iweala had earlier confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term in a letter to the General Council Chair on September 16.

The WTO formally initiated the selection process for the next Director-General on October 8, giving members until November 8 to submit nominations. The WTO also announced that the General Council Chair will outline the next steps in the process in the coming days.

Okonjo-Iweala, who became the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO on February 15, 2021, will continue her tenure until August 31, 2025.