Browsing: Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that British businesses would support Africa to flourish with the green industrial revolution. The irony of this is that the UK hosted COP26 in Glasgow last November. The outcomes were disappointing for Africa which suffers the brunt of climate change.
While partnerships are necessary for development, the type, objectives, and interests of the participants are critical elements in deciding the outcome. Africa’s interests have always come last.
The partnerships for development are essential to addressing Africa’s development issues and trade growth. But there are too many conditions, usually. These include impositions in development cooperation for Africa. …

While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has become a reality, developing robust infrastructure is crucial to its operationalisation and success. 

For maximum benefit, member states to the trade agreement must be connected physically and digitally through hard infrastructure and connected in the harmonisation and coordination of processes through soft infrastructure. 

The pact connecting 1.3 billion people across the 55 African countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion faces huge challenges that need quick responses. These responses range from the dependence of African economies on commodity production and exports, the lack of diversification which has caused a mismatch between supply and demand, tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs), inefficient transport infrastructure and poor trade logistics to high-security risk among others.…

The confirmation of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as the World Trade Organization’s new head is a positive development. Having previously been blocked by the Trump administration, it is a welcome relief that it has finally come to fruition. 

There are questions as to the reasons behind her blockade in the first place. Could it be her nation of origin? Perhaps a discomfort about bringing governance of the world’s largest trade organization to Africa? Or possibly the fact that she is a woman? Perchance some are not ready for female leadership. Judging from how long the US presidency has been a boys-only club, it begs to reason that this might be a plausible reason. 

Regardless of the reasoning, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s history precedes her. She is no stranger to breaking barriers, having been appointed as the first female finance minister under two different sitting presidents in Nigeria. She has also …