Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, has been honoured as the Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2020.
It appears that Nigerians are now turning tables around on a global scale with their outstanding works. They have made Africa proud and earned respect for their names.
The likes of Akinwumi Adesina; President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammad Sanusi II; African richest man, Aliko Dangote, have all in separate years bagged the same award.
Expressing her excitement after being awarded, Okonjo-Iweala commended the management of the magazine for the honour and recognition.
“Thrilled to be named Forbes Africa-CNBC ‘2020 African of the Year’ following in the footsteps of my great brothers Paul Kagame and Akin Adesina. I am excited by the prestigious award,” she stated in a statement.
While describing how Africans have motivated her, she stressed that “it is a great honour to serve Africa in different capacities. I look forward to deploying my energies at the WTO for Africa and the world This award is for fellow Africans suffering the health and economic impact of #Covid19. The energy and resilience of Africans inspire me.”
Okonjo-Iweala is jostling for the position of the Director-General (DG) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with South Korea’s first female trade minister, Yoo Myung- hee.
With Myung-Lee being withdrawn in the final lap of the race, Okonjo-Iweala is poised to be the one to lead the trade organisation in the coming years.
Okonjo-Iweala has received numerous recognitions and awards, which include the followings:
- One of the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015)
- Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014)
- Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012)
- Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014)
- Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012)
- Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011)
- Top 100 Women in the World (The Guardian, 2011)
- Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011)
- Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011)
- Women’s Economic Empowerment Award from WEConnect International (2017)
