The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has garnered unprecedented support to serve a second term at the 164 member states trade organisation. In an official media release after July 22 meeting, the WTO General Council indicated that fifty-eight (58) of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have voiced support for a proposal from the African Group backing incumbent Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to serve a second term.

As stipulated by the guidelines, the Director General can serve two terms. Almost all members pointed to all the efforts and qualities of Okonjo-Iweala and her contributions to the organisation which enhanced a lot of progress and development. Okonjo-Iweala, whose tenure as the DG due to end on August 31, 2025, revealed her plans to work with other members of the organisation to restructure the global trade body.

“The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible,” according to the statement by the world trade body.

“Fifty-eight members, several speaking on behalf of groups of members, took the floor to comment and express their support for the African Group proposal. They called on DG Okonjo-Iweala to make her intentions regarding a second term known as soon as possible. Most of these members praised the DG’s hard work and her achievements during her first term,” it further added.

Okonjo-Iweala, 70, said she was very grateful for the support from members. “Everything that I have accomplished, we’ve accomplished together,” she said. The DG said that she took the call of members very seriously and was favourably inclined. She said she would get back to members very soon regarding her intentions.

Some WTO rules and procedures also need to be revisited, including the procedure for appointing director-general,” she earlier noted in her speech. The new WTO boss added that the trade body’s rulebook needed to reflect 21st-century realities such as e-commerce, the digital economy, the post-pandemic and the current geopolitical changes.

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