The All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has declared support for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Managing Director at the World Bank and currently the Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is Nigeria and the Economic Community of West Africa’s candidate for World Trade Organisation (WTO) DG. She is contesting the position with seven other candidates.
Declaring their support, Chairman of the forum and Governor of Kebbi, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, in a statement said President Muhammadu Buhari, in endorsing her candidature, has not only presented the best to the world, but also presented a credible person with integrity.
“The literal freezing of world trade occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic serve as a stark warning that we need to have a better trade system. Whoever imagined that one country can ‘’seize” medical supplies going to other countries?
“Fixing the global trading system is one of the most important challenges of our time and doing so shall contribute to global prosperity more than any agreement. In so doing poverty shall be reduced and global prosperity shall be more equitably shared. Reforming the WTO is at the heart of any of such quests, and thus the choice of the next leader of the organisation matters.
“African countries have been committed to the WTO and have been patiently hopeful. The WTO Agreement was signed in 1995 at Marrakech in Morocco with many African countries being early signatories. Progress has been painstakingly slow with agreement of more equitable trade and agriculture on the table since 2001 it started in Doha, Qatar, known as Doha round.
“In nominating our own Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Buhari is not just presenting a Nigerian Candidate but also presenting to the world one of its best, albeit from Nigeria, and one who is eminently qualified to lead the task of fixing the world trading system.
“An economist, international development expert and a global public servant, Okonjo-Iweala is one candidate that come with all the experiences and expertise required to reposition the WTO. Both President Buhari and Okonjo-Iweala deserve commendation for giving the world the opportunity towards correcting the distortions in the world trading system.”
The belated nomination of Okonjo-Iweala was announced by President Buhari in June, a move objected to by the Egyptian government on the grounds that another Nigerian, Yonov Agah, had been approved by African Union (A.U) Executive Council for the same post.
