66 yr old Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed Monday to head the World Trade Organization, becoming the first woman and first African to take on the role.
She holds a PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It will not be easy because we also have the issue of lack of trust among members which has built up over time, not just among the U.S. and China and the U.S. and the EU … but also between developing and developed country members, and we need to work through that,” she said.
She said that as the first woman and first African to hold the post, “I absolutely do feel an additional burden, I can’t lie about that. Being the first woman and the first African means that one really has to perform.”
“All credit to members for electing me and making that history, but the bottom line is that if I want to really make Africa and women proud I have to produce results, and that’s where my mind is at now.”