PERSONALITY duce the country’s recurrent expenditure which is presently 74% of the National Budget and embark on capital projects which could improve the 14% unemployment rate in the country. In her role as the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, she has extensive influence to shape the direction of the Jonathan Goodluck’s economic team and the transformation agenda. In 2007, Okonjo-Iweala’s NGO, NOI Global Consulting, partnered with the Gallup Organization to introduce an opinion poll, the NOI poll, into the Nigerian polity. She is a fellow at the Brookings Institution. Okonjo-Iweala also serves on the Advisory Board of Global Financial Integrity and on the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute. She has received many awards and obtained about five honorary doctorate degrees. One of the books she wrote is The Debt Trap in Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Debt Strategy (2003)
From Right; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, National President Joint National Association of persons with disabilities (JONAPWD), Barrister Danlami Bashirand SEC-Gen JONAPWD, Mr. Dandison Nwankpa Hart during a courtesy visit to the Coordinating Minister of the Economic Team in Abuja.
Okonjo-Iweala has not expressed interest to contest political office in Nigeria. However, from her vast expertise in World Economic circles and with a keen understanding of economic realities in developing countries (having served as a distinguished Minister in the Nigerian government), she has been vocal in her denunciation of the manner in which the country is currently accumulating huge debts. Just like the Jewish Diaspora after acquiring Western knowledge and skills returned to build the State of modern Israel, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an example of impacts that African Diaspora can make in African development.
Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, JPMorgan Chase International Chairman Jacob Frenkel and Singaporean Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam
World Bank’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Sanjay Pradhan discuss what’s needed to promote additional South-South learning initiatives at the South-South Experience Exchange Facility (SEETF) showcase at the World Bank Annual Meetings in Istanbul, October 4, 2009.
AYOUB MZEE with Dr Okonjo Iweala at the Africa union headquarters
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