Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has been named in Time
Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2021.
Time Magazine’s annual list of 100 most influential people
in the world accords recognition to “people whose ideas, example, talent, or
discoveries transform the world we live in”.
The list, released on
Wednesday, places the individuals in five categories: Titans, pioneers,
artists, leaders and icons.
Okonjo-Iweala, who became the first woman and first African to lead the WTO in March, was included in the “leaders” category, alongside Joe Biden, president of the United States of America; Kamala Harris, US vice-president; Xi Jinping, president of China, and Narendra Modi, prime minister of India.
‘SHE KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE’
Speaking on Okonjo-Iweala’s efforts, Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said the former Nigerian minister of
finance “knows how to get things done”, and praised her work at the helm of
affairs at WTO.
“What will it take to vaccinate the world? Unity,
cooperation—and leaders like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,” the couple’s comment,
published in the magazine, reads.
“As the first African
and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, a 164-member group of
nations that oversees trade across the world, Okonjo-Iweala took on the role of
director-general this March at a watershed moment for our global health and well-being.
Make no mistake; her job affects every person, family and community.
“As we face a constant barrage of vaccine misinformation,
bureaucratic slowdowns across both government and industry, and the rise of
variants that underscore the urgency of the situation, Okonjo-Iweala has shown
us that to end the pandemic; we must work together to equip every nation with
equitable vaccine access.
“Our conversations with her have been as informative as they
are energizing. This is partly because, despite the challenges, she knows how
to get things done—even between those who don’t always agree—and does so with
grace and a smile that warms the coldest of rooms.
“The fragility of our world right now cannot be overstated.
Just over a quarter of the nearly 8 billion global population is fully
vaccinated. Achieving vaccine equity is a global duty of compassion for one
another. Our hope is that guided by strong leaders like Ngozi, and we can get
there soon.”
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