A conversation with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Nigerian economist and former World Bank managing director talks about Africa, Covid-19, boardroom diversity, and her hopes to lead the World Trade Organisation.

She is one of several candidates vying for the position, after the current managing director unexpectedly resigned a year early. But at a time when trade is suffering from the ravages of a sceptical Trump administration and a pandemic, is the job something of a poisoned chalice? And what would it mean for an African woman to take over?

The former Nigerian finance minister now holds multiple jobs - on the boards of Twitter, Standard Chartered Bank, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. They give her a unique perspective on many of the challenges now facing the planet. But Manuela Saragosa asks her whether she thinks the pool of Africans invited to these top positions needs to be widened.

Correction: During the programme, the departing head of the WTO Roberto Azevedo is erroneously referred to as Mexican. Mr Azevedo is actually from Brazil.

(Picture: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters)