By Chinelo Nwangene
Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s appointment as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has sparked wild jubilation across Nigeria and beyond. But feminists view her latest accomplishment as a proof that the female child can conquer the world if given quality education and fair opportunities like their male counterparts.
Following her confirmation as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first woman and the first African to lead the 25-year-old global trade body. Nigeria’s former Finance minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy had faced opposition for the WTO job from South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, backed by the US under President Donald Trump. However, the withdrawal of Myung-hee from the race, and subsequent backing of the new US President, Joe Biden paved the way for Okonjo-Iweala’s emergence.
“WTO members took the decision to appoint @NOIweala at a special meeting of the General Council, following a selection process that included eight candidates from around the world #WTODG,” the WTO explained while formally announcing confirmation of the appointment on Monday. The former World Bank Vice President is due to assume her new office on March 1,2021 initially for a term of four years that runs until August 2025.
Widespread jubilation has greeted confirmation of Nigeria’s former minister as leader of WTO. Nigerians both home and abroad have flooded the social media space with congratulatory remarks. As a woman who graduated Magna cum Laude from Harvard University with an AB in Economics and later earned her PhD in Regional Economics and Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology before a flowing career that had seen her occupy a vice presidential position at the World Bank, Okonjo-Iweala was regarded as epitome of Nigeria greatness.
“One thing that fascinates me about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is her Nigerianess! She is proud of her roots! No fake accent, no foreign fashion, no form of complex but exudes confidence and dignity! She walks her talks and remains a great mentor to the womenfolk,” Sam Anokam observed.
Dan Iwunze was also full of praises for the former finance minister, declaring her the most successful Nigerian despite being a woman. “Ngozi (Okonjo-Iweala) towers above them all, male or female, home or abroad. Her pedigree is too large for anyone here in Nigeria today to fit in…Ngozi is of a special class; the first female President of Nigeria, hereafter,” he said.
According to John Onyeisi Nwaokolo, Okonjo-Iweala is “exemplary and deserves to be promoted to shame those men who think that the education of the girl child is a waste of family resources”.
Gender campaigners also seized the momentum of Okonjo-Iweala’s historic rise to the top echelon of the WTO to call for greater commitment to gender mainstreaming in Nigeria and Africa. Some feminists in their reactions called out Nigerian men for undermining the success of womenfolk in the society.
Nnedinso Ogaziechi observed that immediately Okonjo-Iweala was confirmed as WTO Director General, then she began to receive “flurry of congratulations and false grinning by the very people who always choose mediocrity over merit. The very people who feel women should only just clap and dance at political rallies and wait for tokenism from less educated, less qualified, less patriotic, less compassionate, less humane individuals”.
According to Ogaziechi, appointment of Okonjo-Iweala as WTO boss was a strong message to Nigeria to stop undermining its women. “For Nigerian citizens who are enablers of the rot in the system, the world is telling you guys, ‘You do not value what you have’. It happened to Arunma Oteh, today she is at the World Bank. It happened to Amina Mohammed, today she is at the UN; and Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, today she is at the African Development Bank (AfDB). To many accomplished, dedicated and professional women in a country where mediocrity is on the mountain and merit is in the valley.
“Where are those half-educated, avaricious male politicians that hounded Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala because as an economist of global repute she tried to remind Nigerians to ‘ save for the rain day’? Today we have a storm. Where are those who called her an agent of the Brenton Wood institutions just because she was doing her patriotic best?”, she queried.
Gabriel Agabi agrees that Nigeria was blessed with many women with capacities to contribute at highest public offices, despite having few of them. He, however stressed that the gender gap is fast closing. “All is gearing towards admitting that the moment for women leadership in the highest order is here to stay. Take it or leave it, they have proven in all fields of endeavors, capacity beyond compete. We have to have this discussion, because, Nigerian happiness and survival depends on women emancipation.
Chinna Okoroafor, however slammed Nigerian men for trying to belittle successful women. “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI), a woman of many firsts that chauvinistic Nigerian men said destroyed the economy of Nigeria is now the World Trade Organization, WTO’s Director General. They are now celebrating her and slobbering over her appointment! Yet, they are still categorizing her by her marital status and her mode of dressing. Because being many firsts has nothing to do with her brain and mental power.
A social commentator, Peckerso urged Nigerian men to create new habits to support a mindset change towards helping women achieve their full potentials. “Instead of always waiting for your wife to go to the local market, return and make you a new pot of soup everyday, be like Dr. Ikemba Iweala, Dr. Chike Akunyili, Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, etc.”
Ivuoma Tom, also urged Nigerian men to be strong, cheerleader and supporting husband to their wives to enable them become successful in their careers. She observed that many women have great ideas and goals but couldn’t contribute their ideas due to suppression by the husbands and in-laws. “On the other hand, there are some women who never had ideas but their husbands identified and nurtured their strengths, brought out the best in them and today the world is celebrating them.
“Husbands, don’t kill your wives’ visions, dreams and aspirations! If your wife has great ideas and visions, support it. If you discovered great strengths in her that she’s not even aware, nurture it and support her grow. Who knows how many lives she will impact positively? It may be hundreds, thousands, millions or billion lives and generational impacts”, she adds.
Former Big Brother Naija Housemate, Natasha Akide also took a swipe at those celebrating Okonjo-Iweala but turn deaf ears to girl-child issues. The reality star took to her Instagram page to express displeasure over the failure of Nigerian leaders and people to address the challenges facing girl child in Nigeria. “People who look the other way when it comes to girl child issues but open their mouth to congratulate Dr, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala should seal their hypocritical mouth”, she wrote, stressing that “Okonjo Iweala is a representation of every female and doing what she’s doing for all females”.
Some commentators also expressed frustrations with the prevalence of underaged girl marriage in northern Nigeria, a development they say deprive most of them education and better life. Widespread condemnation greeted a recent wedding between an underaged girl identified as Jemila Sada and an older man simply identified as Mallam Sani.
Reacting to the wedding which took place on January 22, 2021, Nnedinso Ogaziechi observed that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would not have achieved success in her carrer if she had been married off early in age without completing her education. “Educate the girl-child and let her blossom. Stop stealing innocence and talents using parochial issues of religion and culture”, she stressed.
Francis Uzoma Madubuike, agrees, stressing that people in southern Nigeria have embraced education for the girl child. “The problem is the north. This people still enslave there girl child and turn them into a breeding equipment.
Chris Nwabueze Ndu, described the refusal of the federal and state governments to end child marriage in Nigeria as unfortunate development. “The quest for some Muslim men and some Christians to marry virgins is fueling this paedophilia market. There is no shortage of men who will marry a 16-year-old just to satisfy their immoral self that they married a virgin.”
Ayodele Oyewole Adabale argued that there was no justification for subjecting underaged girls to marriage to old men: “This type of madness should not be over looked or tolerated by the federal government, states and local. Defending it with whatever you want to doesn’t really matter. That old man supposed to be arrested and flogged nakedly. All our so called human right organizations sees this and kept quiet. This is child abuse.
“Perpetuating callousness and evil in the name of any religion should be scrapped and eradicated. We need commonsense now in Africa more than any religion in order to develop. Our adherence to religious dogma is directing us to hell not God,” he adds.
NOI Brief Portfolio:
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. Currently, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has immunized 760 million children globally and saved thirteen million lives. She sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc. She was recently appointed as African Union (AU) Special Envoy to mobilise international financial support for the fight against COVID-19 and WHO Special Envoy for Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. She is a skilled negotiator and has brokered numerous agreements which have produced win-win outcomes in negotiations. She is regarded as an effective consensus builder and an honest broker enjoying the trust and confidence of governments and other stakeholders.
Previously, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala twice served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions. She distinguished herself by carrying out major reforms which improved the effectiveness of these two ministries and the functioning of the government machinery. She had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No. 2 position of Managing Director, Operations. As a development economist and Finance Minister, Dr Okonjo-Iweala steered her country through various reforms ranging from macroeconomic to trade, financial and real sector issues.
Nigerian ladies copy Okonjo-Iweala fashion statement
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the most celebrated person of the week following her confirmation as Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) last Monday. Apart from her enviable records as a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience across five continents, Okonjo-Iweala’s iconic fashion statement o uniformed Ankara outfit with head-gear has equally endeared her to global audience.
Since her appointment, Nigerian ladies have taken the celebration to a new level with the #BeLikeNgoziChallenge which has seen thousands of ladies posting their own version of NOI fashion statements. Orient Fashion sampled some of the trending outfits.