The European Union governments have thrown its support behind Nigeria’s candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the position of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The EU also expressed support for Korea’s, Yoo Myung-hee.
Bloomberg reported that EU member-country envoys agreed on Monday in Brussels to endorse Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Yoo, South Korea’s trade chief, in their bids to become WTO director-general.
Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee are part of the five contenders in the final round for the job position.
Others are Amina Mohamed of Kenya, Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Liam Fox of the United Kingdom.
The five candidates were chosen in September from eight others after due consultations by the WTO.
WTO plans to announce two finalists after October 6 and name a winner by November 7.
Okonjo-Iweala who is a one-time Minister of Finance in Nigeria also held a position as the Managing Director of the World Bank.
Her home country is also routing for her to clinch the WTO job.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier nominated Okonjo-Iweala for the WTO DG role with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) later backing her nomination.
