Nigeria yesterday stepped up its campaign to get Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala elected as World Bank President.
President Goodluck Jonathan argued in a statement that the coordinating Minister of the Economy is the best candidate for the job and so should be given the post. He called for “an open, transparent and merit-based process”, in the election.
Nigeria also yesterday summoned ambassadors and high commissioners in the country to campaign to their governments through them for the Finance Minister’s candidacy.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, is competing against Colombian Jose Antonio Ochampo and Korean American Prof. Jim Yong Kim.
They are bidding to replace American Robert Zoelick, due to step down in June after four years on the job.
The Executive Board of the World Bank is due to meet and vote for a new president and announce the new boss on April 16.
An American candidate has held the position since the Brentton Wood institution was founded in 1944. World Bank’s sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is traditionally headed by a European. French woman Christine Lagarde is its current president.
President Jonathan’s statement reads: “I am very pleased to note the staunch support and universal acclaim elicited by the nomination of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, as a candidate for the post of World Bank President.
I am particularly appreciative of the strong endorsement and proactive backing for her candidature as Africa’s nominee for this very important position by fellow Heads of State across the continent, the African Union Commission, ECOWAS and African Ministers of Finance, Economy and Planning.
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