She is an Igbo Nigerian and a highly respected and influential global leader, economist, policy maker and thinker on Finance and Economic Development. The first woman and first African to hold the office of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is from Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was educated at the International School Ibadan and Harvard University. She graduated with an AB in Economics in 1976 and earned her PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981.
She served two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria (2003-2006; 2011-2015) and was previously Managing Director of the World Bank (2007-2011).
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is renowned as the first female and black candidate to contest for the presidency of the World Bank Group in 2012.
She is married to Dr Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon from Umuahia, Abia State, and they are blessed with four children.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala clocked 70 on 13 June, 2024.