wto
WTO chief: Patent waiver not enough to close vaccine gap
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that intellectual property waiver alone will not be enough to narrow the huge COVID-19 vaccine supply gap between rich and poor countries. She told the European Parliament that it was clear that discussions around vaccine patents alone would not suffice, saying that global leaders should do more to ensure that there is equitable production and distribution of the jabs. Okonjo-Iweala said developing countries had complained that the licensing process was cumbersome and should be improved upon. She added that while it makes sense to protect research and innovation, it is also important to expand access to the vaccines. According to her, manufacturers should work to expand production, pointing to idle capacity ...
WTO chief warns against Nigeria’s continued reliance on oil & gas
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), has warned of Nigeria’s continued reliance on crude oil and gas as the major source of revenue to the government. Okonjo-Iweala sounded the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at a meeting with Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). She urged the government to transit from oil and gas based economy to other non-oil sectors. She pointed out that unless Nigeria diversifies her economy, it would be left behind by other countries. She said, “I have kept on harping that Nigeria should transit from oil and gas based economy to producing in other non-oil sector. “This is because of the climate change. Fossil fuels which are oil and gas, that Nigeria depends on, ...
WTO chief: ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ to stop abduction of students
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday expressed hope that the ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ will help stop the incessant abduction of students across Nigeria. Nigerian women on Wednesday came out en masse to welcome Okonjo-Iweala in her first homecoming since she became the director-general of WTO, during a visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja. Addressing the crowd which included Senators and members of the National Assembly, former Ministers, wives of former governors, women in the Armed Forces, women societies, female political aspirants, Civil Society Organisations, as well as students, Okonjo-Iweala expressed deep concern about the incessant abduction of girls and boys in schools. The WTO boss who noted that it is shamef...
WTO: We need to build capacity for international competitiveness – LCCI
Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has posited that for Nigeria to take advantage of opportunities offered by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under the leadership of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, it was important to build capacity for international competitiveness of our products and services. The Chamber also emphasised the need to address trade facilitation issues, especially around port processes, ports infrastructures, international trade documentation, foreign exchange policies, trade policies and industrial policies. The Director General of the chamber, Muda Yusuf, made the disclosure following the appointment of Okonjo-Iweala as the DG of the WTO, saying her emergence comes at a time when the global trading system is faced with n...
WTO fixes date to announce next director-general
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has scheduled a special meeting of its General Council for Monday, February 15, 2021, where Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is expected to be formally announced as the Director General. According to a notification seen by newsmen Tuesday, the only agenda for the meeting is to, “consider the appointment of the next WTO Director-General.” The United State government last week gave its formal approval to the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director General, thereby removing the final obstacle to her bid to be the first woman and the first African to run the Geneva-based trade body. The endorsement of the candidacy of the Nigeria’s two-term former minister was sequel to the withdrawal of her main challenger, the South Kore...
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – A Perfect Fit For The WTO
In the cesspool of corruption and continuous A-grade drama that is Nigeria, only a handful of names have stood out to tell a different story, not only in Nigerian circles but across global scenes, too. One very prominent name to reckon with is the iconic name of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who through sheer hard work and pristine service has risen to the ranks of a national hero. She is a woman of reckoning across the world, sitting on many seats without breaking them, standing at many a podium, accepting heavy responsibilities and handling them all with classy aplomb, thus deserving the countless feathered caps that sit so immaculately well on her head. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is not a name that suddenly leapt out of nowhere. It belongs to a personality that has worked hard and tirelessly in the ...
