Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has been named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential persons in 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 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.
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.
The couple said in the magazine, “What will it take to vaccinate the world? Unity, cooperation, and leaders like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“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”.
Harry and Meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan further added that their “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.
- US opposes appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who would be first African WTO head
- DG Okonjo-Iweala makes an official visit to Nigeria
“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”.
Harry and Meghan
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that TIME magazine included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on its new list of the world’s most influential people.
Photos of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were released by the publication. The new photos mark the first time the couple has formally posed together for a magazine cover shoot.
José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, writes about the couple in the publication.
“Springing into action is not the easy choice for a young duke and duchess who have been blessed through birth and talent, and burned by fame”.
World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization, which has now delivered more than 500,000 hot meals to earthquake-stricken Haiti, is an official partner of Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation.
José Andrés adds in an appraisal of the royal couple: “It would be much safer to enjoy their good fortune and stay silent.
“That’s not what Harry and Meghan do, or who they are… In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle”.
Read also: GUTA urges WTO boss Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to project trading in Africa
