Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a daring and powerful woman that has broken many records. She is currently the first female and black woman to be the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She was also the first female to be the Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria. This woman of honour has bagged many awards and accolades. She sits on the board of various high-ranking organizations in the world. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is a woman worth reading and knowing about. She has amassed wealth over the course of her career and thus enjoys the best life has to offer. This article on carmart.ng brings you everything you need to know about Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.
Profile
Name Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Age 13 June 1954
Occupation Director-general of the World Trade Organization
Citizenship Nigeria and US
Net worth Unknown
Husband Ikemba Iweala
Parents Chukwuka Okonjo, Kamene Okonjo
Early Life And Biography
Born on 13 June 1954, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is of royal blood. She was born in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria, where her father, Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, was the obi (king) of the Obihai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu.
For her primary and secondary school education, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala attended Queen’s School, Enugu; St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan; and the International School Ibadan.
She travelled to the US in 1973 when she was a teenager to study Economics at Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976. Progressing in her education, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala bagged her PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the thesis Credit policy, rural financial markets, and Nigeria’s agricultural development.
Career
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala began her career as a Development Economist at the World Bank, Washington DC. She had a 25-year career at the world bank and rose to the position of Managing Director. She spearheaded notable initiatives during her time at the World Bank. For instance, she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolios in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. She was also involved in assisting low-income countries during the 2008–2009 food crises and later during the financial crisis.
Returning to Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala got involved with the government. She served twice as the first female Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the Minister of Finance under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former President Good luck Jonathan. Some of her key achievements during terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria include;
She spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion.
She led efforts to improve Nigeria’s macroeconomic management including the implementation of an oil-price based fiscal rule.
She fostered transparency in government by introducing the practice of publishing in the newspapers, each state’s monthly financial allocation from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
She played a key role in helping Nigeria obtain its first ever sovereign credit rating (of BB minus) from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s in 2006.
She also empowered women and youth with the Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria Programme (GWIN).
Moving on from the government, in 2015, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala became a member of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. She is also the co-chair of the Global Commission for the Economy and Climate, with Nicholas Stern and Paul Polma. In 2019, Okonjo-Iweala became a part of UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education, chaired by Sahle-Work Zewde. In 2020, the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva appointed her to an external advisory group to provide input on policy challenges. Also in 2020, she was appointed by the African Union (AU) as a special envoy to solicit international support to help the continent deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the 15th of February, 2021, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was unanimously appointed as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She became the first female and first African to ever hold that position at the World Trade Organization. She began her career as the DG of 1st March 2021.
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala sits on the board of chairs of various high-profile organizations including Presently, she sits on boards of several organizations such as Twitter, Standard Chartered Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, African Risk Capacity, and Georgetown Institute for Women among others.
Personal Life
Despite her busy schedule and intense career journey, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is lovingly married to Ikemba Iweala, a family medicine Physician from Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. The union is blessed with four children, three boys and one girl including Onyinye Iweala, Uzodinma Iweala, Okechukwu Iweala, and Uchechi Iweala.
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala Awards
2020 – African of the year, Forbes Africa.
2017 – Vanguard Award, Howard University.
2017 – Women’s Economic Empowerment Award, WEConnect International.
2017 – Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Award, Aspen Institute.
2016 – Power with Purpose Award, Devex Development Communications Network.
2016 – Global Fairness Award, Global Fairness Initiative.
2014 – David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award.
2011 – President of the Italian Republic Gold Medal, Pia Manzu Centre.
2011 – Global Leadership Award, Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
2010 – Global Leadership Award, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.
2010 – Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award.
2004 – TIME’s European Heroes Award.
2004 – Finance Minister of the Year, Africa Investor Magazine.
2005 – Finance Minister of the Year for Africa and the Middle East, The Banker.]2005 – Global Finance Minister of the Year, Euromoney.
2005 – Finance Minister of the Year for Africa and the Middle East, Emerging Markets Magazine.
Net Worth
It’s obvious Ngozi Okonjo Iweala has held various positions both locally and Internationally. She is one of the phenomenal women to live in this era, and hence she is a source of inspiration to various young women and youths generally. As of the time of this article, her net worth is unknown.
Cars
It’s obvious Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is a wealthy woman with a successful career. However, despite her fame and global impact, Ngozi Okonjo Iwea rarely shares pictures of her cars on her social media platform.
However, she was spotted in a Mercedes Benz S-class on the day she resumed office at the World Trade Organization.
The Mercedes Benz S-class is often the choice car for many world leaders and politicians. Mercedes Benz S-class is a classic car and the interior is made from state of the art materials to keep riders comfortable. This bespoke vehicle is powered by a 4.0-litre V-8 engine generating a 463-hp. The passenger seat can accommodate about 4-5 people. The starting price of the S-class is 72.1 million NGN.
House
Having lived in the United States for a long time, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and her husband have a home in Potomac Maryland near Washington DC. We suspect that she will have several houses in Nigeria as well as and other parts of the world.
CONCLUSION
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a trailblazer. She is passionate about women and girls’ enrichment. She is an inspiration to many across the globe to participate in economic and nation building.
