Over 100 Nations Back Okonjo-Iweala for WTO Top Job

The entire 27 European member states have declared support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Nigeria’s former minister of finance, in her bid to become the first female director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The European member nations presently backing the former minister are France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

This bring the number of countries officially backing Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy to 106 out of the 164 states that made up WTO. The number includes the 55-member African Union.

The WTO’s consultation process ends today and the new leader is expected to be named in November but an EU official said the EU will publicly announce its support for the 66-year-old economist today, according to AFP.

The final winner between the two women will replace Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo and former director-general of the 25-year-old trade organisation.