Okonjo-Iweala gets highest media acceptability of all WTO DG contenders

Okonjo-Iweala gets highest media acceptability of all WTO DG contenders

Okonjo-Iweala Gets Best Media Acceptability of all WTO DG Contenders

An analysis of social media acceptability for the contenders of the top job at the World Trade Organization (WTO) shows Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala leading other interests.

On Saturday, the WTO tweeted a recorded interview with Okonjo-Iweala, Tudor Ulianovschi (Moldova), Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt) and Jesus Seade Kuri (Mexico).

After 9 hours of Kuri’s post, he has 22 retweets, 33 likes and one comment. After 7 hours of Okonjo-Iweala’s post, she has 852 retweets, 75 comments and 1, 200 likes. After 5 hours of Mamdouh’s post, he has 6 retweets and 17 likes. After three hours of Ulianovschi post, he has 6 retweets and 8 likes.

In the posts, contenders are given the opportunity to sell themselves to the general public by talking about their visions for the WTO.

If media acceptability is anything to go by, it can be confidently predicted that Okonjo-Iweala is most likely to win the heart of the electors.

Okonjo-Iweala said her vision is run a united WTO which would bring prosperity, unity and shared value to members.

In an earlier interview the former Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for the Economy under President Goodluck Jonathan, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala shared her optimistism about being appointed as the next Director-General of the WTO.  Her optimism is not limited to the endorsements she got from President Muhammadu Buhari , National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) and Economic Community for the West African States but the confidence that she has what it takes to become the first African and female WTO DG since the global trade force was established in 1995.

Other candidates are Amina Mohamed (Kenya), Yoo Myung-hee (Korea), Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri (Saudi Arabia), and Liam Fox (UK).

Speaking at the meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, the former World Bank director said she has all it takes to become the first African and first female DG of the global trade force established in 1995.

She said:  “WTO needs leadership and it needs someone able to bring a bundle of qualities – political ability and ability to reach decision-makers. International contacts, I have that. Managerial capability from my long years in a multilateral organisation like the World Bank. The ability to forge consensus, to negotiate, a reformer. I have an established reputation as a strong reformer both at the World Bank and also in my country. I’ve even written a book about it.

“So, I think together I bring a bundle of qualities – public sector, private sector – because you need to know how do businesses see the WTO and what needs to be done. What about micro-medium and small enterprises? Just to find out what it means to be a small-medium enterprise owner, I started one myself in Nigeria to see what are the obstacles in the way that you need to clear out.

“So, I’m a doer. I’m solution-oriented and pragmatic. I bring together the bundle of qualities and the leadership acumen that you need to lead this. So, I would hope that if selected from the African continent, it should be me.”

To critics that alleged that Okonjo-Iweala is more of a financial sector expert and inexperienced in Trade, she described such as a ‘wrong notion.’ She said:

“I am a strong believer in the role of trade and of the MTS to lift millions out of poverty and bring shared prosperity. Throughout my career as a development economist at the World Bank, I worked on tough economic policy reforms including trade policy in middle and low-income countries. As a two time and longest-serving Finance Minister in my country, I had the Customs Service reporting to me, so issues of trade facilitation and trade policy were squarely part of my remit. Together with the Trade Minister, I also worked on regional trade issues including the ECOWAS Common External Tariffs.

“I can bring a fresh pair of eyes to the WTO’s challenges. Enhancing and renewing the organization will require recalling the core objectives and principles on which the MTS was built – the value of open trade, competition and non-discrimination, security and predictability of market access, fair trade and transparency. These principles contribute to economic growth and development. I have seen how essential and powerful trade can be in promoting not only economic growth and development but also, with the right incentives and policies, fostering inclusiveness of women and youth involved in entrepreneurial activities through micro, small and middle-sized enterprises.”

On how she intends to address challenges that have eaten deep into the fabrics of the global trade body, she explained that the first hurdle to tackle would be to build trust among the membership. She said,

“Current problems are not solely of a technical nature, some require political solutions. Throughout my career, I have been involved in difficult negotiations with high political stakes including debt relief negotiations with both the Paris and London clubs. I have brokered numerous agreements that have produced win-win outcomes.

“A good example is during the 2008–2009 food crisis when large wheat exporting countries imposed export restrictions- driving up the price of bread and other wheat-based products in a large number of developing countries. As Managing Director of the World Bank, I flew to one leading exporter, met with the leadership and over several meetings and negotiations, I persuaded them to remove the export restrictions. The affected developing countries benefited by having access to wheat and wheat products thereby ensuring their food security, while the country imposing the restrictions also benefited from increased export prices.”

“I want to conclude by reiterating the importance of the WTO at this critical, uncertain and challenging time in the world. The WTO is needed to ensure trade and global markets remain open. Its convening power and ability to provide a unique forum where countries can come together around shared interests is still vital,” she added.