Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - Igbo Women Ambassadors ©

Economist and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria

Early Life & Education

Born on June 13, 1954 in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria Encyclopedia Britannica.
Education:
- A.B. in Economics, Harvard University (magna cum laude, 1976) Encyclopedia Britannica The Africa Women and Children Conference.
- Ph.D. in Regional Economics and Development, MIT (1981) Encyclopedia Britannica The Africa Women and Children Conference.

Professional Journey

World Bank & Early Leadership

Spent 25 years at the World Bank, rising from Development Economist to Managing Director of Operations, overseeing an $81 billion portfolio covering Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia Encyclopedia Britannica WB Collaborative The Rockefeller Foundation.

National Service in Nigeria

Minister of Finance (2003–2006 & 2011–2015):
- Orchestrated debt relief with the Paris Club, slashing Nigeria’s external debt by $18 billion Encyclopedia Britannica Nnewi City The Rockefeller Foundation.
- Introduced key reforms: Treasury Single Account (TSA), GIFMIS, and IPPIS; helped eliminate over 60,000 ghost workers and saved significant funds Wikipedia Nnewi City Nairametrics.
- Initiated economic stability mechanisms like the Excess Crude Account and secured sovereign credit ratings for Nigeria Wikipedia Nairametrics.
- Spearheaded re-basing Nigeria’s GDP, making it Africa’s largest economy, and launched youth and women economic empowerment programs like YouWiN! and GWiN Wikipedia AriseAfrika.
Foreign Minister (briefly in 2006), becoming the first woman to hold this position in Nigeria Wikipedia.

Global Leadership & Vision

In March 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO)—the first woman and first African to hold this role Wikipedia The Guardian.
She has focused on reforming the WTO, tackling vaccine nationalism, trade equity, climate issues, and navigating geopolitical tensions The Guardian TIME Financial Times.

Boards, Advocacy & Recognition

Leadership roles include Chair of Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) and the African Risk Capacity Group, and co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate Brookings The Africa Women and Children Conference.
Holds influential positions with organizations such as the World Economic Forum, Standard Chartered, Twitter, and Lazard Brookings WB Collaborative American Academy of Arts and Science.
Honored with numerous awards and honorary degrees worldwide, including Nigeria’s Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and accolades from the U.S., Brazil, and Timor-Leste Brookings WB Collaborative.

Summary

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a trailblazing economist whose leadership spans national reform, global development, and multilateral trade governance. From transforming Nigeria’s finance systems to reforming the WTO, her career is defined by innovation, transparency, and achieving unprecedented milestones—especially for African women on the world stage.