When I think about Dr Ngozi Okonj Iweala, the first phrase the come into my head is, “Where amazing lives.” NOI as she’s popularly called is the epitome of awesomeness. Her records in both the public sector as Minister of Finance in Nigeria and at organizations like the World Bank and now WTO speak for themselves. There are a lot of amazing women, and NOI certainly embodies everything amazing about womanhood. For #InternationalWomes’sWeek, we are putting the spotlight on the ever-bright Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.
In the words of, Beyoncé, “Who run the world? Girls!”.
This euphoric, victorious statement is the type that immediately comes to mind in the wake of the thrilling news of the appointment of Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the 7th Director-General of the World Trade Organization. This ground-breaking feat is not just symbolic because she is Nigerian, but also because she makes history as the first African and first woman to hold the position. With this achievement in view, one could gloat with kindred pride, taking into cognizance the historical symbolism of this development, juxtaposing it with relatively impressive Black women leaders who have achieved similarly emulatory feats in the past– one could say Okonjo-Iweala has made her ancestors proud.
Okonjo-Iweala’s accomplishments cannot be merely written off as luck or a recent development, as proof of her obvious success in previous political offices are imprinted in the sands of time. Her ability to assert her place on the list of truly effectual, successful public officers easily reminds one of the likes of pacesetting women like the great Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti – the notable women’s right activist and politician. Ransome-Kuti was a great lioness who greatly influenced women’s access to social rights like education, employment and political representations. Like our record-breaking protagonist, Ransome-Kuti made history as the first female to attend a previously predominantly ‘all boys’ school; Abeokuta Grammar School, in the 1930s. She subsequently proceeded to form the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU) in the 1940s and later on, the Women’s International Democratic Foundation – both movements which were highly instrumental to the development of women representation in politics and society at large. In a generation where women’s voices were only a whisper, she shouted, showed up and came through for women; in a way giving birth to predecessors like Okonjo-Iweala whom we celebrate today.
Another queen on the board whose move was highly symbolic of this great win for Black women is Chief Margaret Ekpo – Nigeria’s “Fashionable Feminist”. Popularly known for her fashionably conspicuous’ stylish clothing choices and hairstyles. This queen was one of the pioneer female civil rights leaders who opposed policies and customs which bellied the subjugation of women in Nigeria. Thanks to her exposure to Western ideals and standard of handling societal matters – especially with the plight of women in mind – she desired the same and more for her kinswomen but did not just stop at wishful thinking. Like Ransome-Kuti, she took the bold step – figuratively and literally, to be the change she desired, taking protest walks and giving speeches that emphasized the need for women to be taken into consideration in decision-making processes. We see this aspiring and adaptive spirit embodied by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
After getting an education in Economics at the prestigious Harvard, she went on to bag a successful 25-year long career at the World Bank, D.C Washington. Armed with progressive economic ideas and suggestions, she adopted some of these concepts during her tenure as Nigeria’s first female finance minister; enacting rules and policies which helped the country pay off its huge debts, start a sovereign wealth fund and create a transparent system of stating constituencies’ finances.
During Okonjo-Iweals’s tenure as finance minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan, she faced heavy opposition and criticism from the opposition party and some other political critics. Many would argue that she was the heroine Nigeria needed to save her from the throes of financial death and therefore commended Okonjo-Iweala’s efforts. However, as is common with positive growth and development, naysayers and beneficiaries of the corrupt system arose with negative thoughts and contrary opinions of her.
She endured death threats and attacks on her family- the kidnapping of her mother. Her introduction of the fuel subsidy removal policy was met with heavy criticism and backlash which eventually necessitated scaling it back. Regardless of all these, it was during her time as the finance minister that futuristic policies were put in place which continues to produce positive results- like the NSIA: Nigerian Sovereign Investment Agency. She compelled the National Bureau of Statistics to carry out studies, proving Nigeria to be the largest economy in Africa. This resilience and productivity even in the face of opposition are reflective of fellow woman and civil rights activist, Miriam Makeba – the South African songstress whose songs tell protesting tales of the apartheid system.
Makeba was one of the loudest voices who spoke up against the racist system of government that out-rightly trampled on its human rights of blacks in South Africa. Even when the heat got so intense that it led to her exile, she never stopped speaking for (and doing) what was right by the people. This greatly affected her career and public image as a lot of her songs were banned in her home country and she was considered a traitor. Despite it all, she pushed on and on until she made her mark and victory was achieved as the barbaric system was eventually abolished.
Women like Miriam Makeba, Margaret Ekpo, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and our dear Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are exemplary, true African queens who have made their marks and impacted society as we now know it and for posterity’s sake, we should never be part of the crowd that underrates their influence and positive impact. It may be easy to undermine Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as the new DG of the WTO, shrugging it off as a regular and expected outcome. This may seem so because as is popular knowledge, Okonjo-Iweala knows her onions and has paid her dues in the financial world, respectfully. Still, in a world that is still struggling and having a hard time adjusting to the fact that women – especially black women- are capable of great things.
This is a huge win for all of us; and on a global platform like the World Trade Organization, having an accomplished, qualified black woman at the helm of affairs and running things only reiterates the truth that girls truly and actually run the world.