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Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala lauds Kim, seeks change
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. PHOTO/Yuri Gripas/Reuters
The Nigerian challenger to head the World Bank congratulated Korean-American physician Jim Yong Kim on his appointment to the post on Monday, but called for changes to the US-dominated selection process.
Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an ex-World Bank managing director seen as a strong candidate to break the US lock on the post, said her campaign had put a spotlight on a process that had not been based on merit.
“Dr Kim already phoned me and we had an excellent conversation,” Okonjo-Iweala told reporters. “I would like to congratulate Dr Jim Yong Kim on his emergence as president of the World Bank Group …
“With regards to the selection process, it is clear to me that we need to make it more open, transparent and merit-based. We need to make sure that we do not contribute to a democratic deficit in global governance.”
The respected economist said despite falling short in her bid to head the bank, her candidacy, which marked the first-ever challenge to US domination of the post, had helped contribute to change.
“Our credible and merit-based challenge to a long-standing and unfair tradition will ensure that the process of choosing a World Bank president will never be the same again,” she said.
“I think we have given everyone food for thought in moving this process along and in changing the way that the World Bank president will be chosen next time. The clock cannot be turned back again on this process.”
