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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Born 1954 · Age 71

Nigerian-American economist, former World Bank managing director and two-time Nigerian Finance Minister; appointed Director-General of the World Trade Organization in 2021 — the first woman and first African to hold the role.

Total Events
80
Career Span
70 years
Peak Net Worth
$12,000,000

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Life & Career Timeline

1954Age 0

Birth in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria

Born in Ogwashi-Ukwu; daughter of Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of the Obahai royal family.

6/13/1954Source
Confidence
100%
1960Age 6

Early schooling (Queen's School, Enugu)

Brief attendance at Queen's School, Enugu (exact dates not specified).

1/1/1960Source
Confidence
60%
1960Age 6

Attended St. Anne's School, Molete, Ibadan

Moved to live and further education at St. Anne's School, Molete, Ibadan (dates not specified).

1/1/1960Source
Confidence
60%
1960Age 6

Attended International School, Ibadan

Attended the International School, Ibadan (dates not specified).

1/1/1960Source
Confidence
60%
1973Age 19

Moved to United States to study at Harvard

Relocated to the U.S. in 1973 to attend Harvard University.

1/1/1973Source
Confidence
95%
1976Age 22

Graduated Harvard University, A.B. in Economics (magna cum laude)

Received A.B. in economics, magna cum laude (class year referenced as 1976 in Wikipedia and 1977 in some bios; primary source lists 1976).

1/1/1976Source
Confidence
95%
1978Age 24

Master's degree in City Planning, MIT

Earned a Master's degree (MCP) in City Planning from MIT.

1/1/1978Source
Confidence
95%
1980Age 26

AAUW international fellowship for doctoral studies

Received support from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for doctoral studies (approximate timing during PhD period).

1/1/1980Source
Confidence
70%
1981Age 27

PhD in Regional Economics and Development, MIT

Awarded PhD; doctoral thesis titled 'Credit policy, rural financial markets, and Nigeria's agricultural development'.

1/1/1981Source
Confidence
98%
1982Age 28

Joined World Bank as development economist

Began a World Bank career (commonly cited as 1982–2003 for first tour) as a development economist, starting a multi-decade international development career.

1/1/1982Net Worth: $50,000Source
Confidence
90%
1989Age 35

Special Assistant to Senior Vice President, Operations (World Bank)

Served as Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President, Operations (role cited for 1989–1991 period).

1/1/1989Net Worth: $100,000Source
Confidence
80%
1995Age 41

Director, Institutional Change and Strategy (World Bank)

Served as Director of Institutional Change and Strategy (approximate period 1995–1997).

1/1/1995Net Worth: $150,000Source
Confidence
80%
1997Age 43

Worked in East Asia during financial crisis (World Bank)

Served two tours in East Asia (last tour in the period 1997–2000) during the East Asian financial crisis, supporting crisis response.

1/1/1997Net Worth: $200,000Source
Confidence
85%
2000Age 46

Director, Operations (Deputy VP) for Middle East Region (World Bank)

Served as Director, Operations (deputy vice-president) for the Middle East region (last tour 2000–2003).

1/1/2000Net Worth: $250,000Source
Confidence
85%
2003Age 49

Published 'The Debt Trap in Nigeria'

Co-edited 'The Debt Trap in Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Debt Strategy' (Africa World Press, 2003).

1/1/2003Net Worth: $600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2003Age 49

Published 'Chinua Achebe: Teacher of Light' (co-author/editor)

Co-authored/edited a 2003 book on Chinua Achebe (Africa World Press).

1/1/2003Net Worth: $600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2003Age 49

Introduced oil-price based fiscal rule; created Excess Crude Account

Implemented an oil-price based fiscal rule and established the Excess Crude Account to save revenues above a benchmark oil price to reduce volatility.

1/1/2003Net Worth: $500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2003Age 49

Appointed Nigeria's Minister of Finance (first term)

Appointed Finance Minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo (term started 15 July 2003).

7/15/2003Net Worth: $500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2004Age 50

Chair, World Bank-IMF Development Committee

Served as Chair of the Joint World Bank-IMF Development Committee (2004).

1/1/2004Net Worth: $600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2004Age 50

TIME European Heroes Award

Received TIME's European Heroes Award for work on economic reform in Nigeria.

1/1/2004Net Worth: $600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2005Age 51

Led Paris Club debt negotiations; $30B wiped out incl. $18B cancelled

Negotiated with the Paris Club to reduce Nigeria's external debt by about US$30 billion, including cancellation of US$18 billion (deal concluded Oct 2005).

1/1/2005Net Worth: $700,000Source
Confidence
98%
2005Age 51

Euromoney Global Finance Minister of the Year

Named Global Finance Minister of the Year by Euromoney (2005).

1/1/2005Net Worth: $700,000Source
Confidence
98%
2006Age 52

Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution

Served as Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Brookings from Sept 2006 to Nov 2007.

1/1/2006Net Worth: $850,000Source
Confidence
95%
2006Age 52

Secured Nigeria's first sovereign credit rating

Instrumental in Nigeria obtaining its first sovereign credit rating (BB−) from Fitch and S&P (2006).

1/1/2006Net Worth: $800,000Source
Confidence
95%
2006Age 52

Appointed Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs (brief)

Served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 21 June 2006 to 30 August 2006 (two months).

6/21/2006Net Worth: $750,000Source
Confidence
98%
2007Age 53

Oversaw World Bank $81B operational portfolio

As Managing Director, she had oversight responsibility for an $81 billion operational portfolio across multiple regions (2007–2011).

1/1/2007Net Worth: $950,000Source
Confidence
98%
2007Age 53

Founded NOI-Polls (Nigeria's first indigenous opinion-research organisation)

Founder of NOI-Polls; the text identifies her as the founder though a founding year is not consistently cited in the provided sources (date here is approximate/low confidence).

1/1/2007Net Worth: $900,000Source
Confidence
30%
2007Age 53

TEDx / public speaking (ongoing)

Delivered global talks including TED (2007) and TEDx (2014) on development, trade and corruption.

1/1/2007Net Worth: $900,000Source
Confidence
95%
2007Age 52

TED Talk: 'Want to Help Africa? Do Business Here'

Delivered a TED Talk in March 2007 on business opportunities in Africa.

3/1/2007Net Worth: $900,000Source
Confidence
95%
2007Age 53

TED Talk: 'Aid versus trade'

Delivered a second TED Talk in June 2007 on aid versus trade.

6/1/2007Net Worth: $900,000Source
Confidence
95%
2007Age 53

Returned to World Bank as Managing Director for Operations

Rejoined the World Bank in December 2007 as Managing Director for Operations (No. 2 position).

12/1/2007Net Worth: $900,000Source
Confidence
97%
2010Age 56

Chaired IDA replenishment raising $49.3B

In 2010 chaired the International Development Association (IDA) replenishment raising $49.3 billion in grants and low-interest credits for poorest countries.

1/1/2010Net Worth: $1,200,000Source
Confidence
98%
2011Age 57

Appointed to IMF International Monetary and Financial Committee (second stint)

Served on IMF's IMFC again during her second ministerial term (2011–2015).

1/1/2011Net Worth: $1,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2011Age 57

Re-appointed Nigeria's Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy

Appointed Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy under President Goodluck Jonathan (term started 17 Aug 2011).

8/17/2011Net Worth: $1,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2012Age 58

Published 'Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria'

Authored book published by MIT Press (2012) detailing reform experiences in Nigeria.

1/1/2012Net Worth: $1,600,000Source
Confidence
98%
2012Age 58

Ran for President of the World Bank

Was a candidate in the 2012 contested World Bank presidential election (first fully contested race).

1/1/2012Net Worth: $1,600,000Source
Confidence
98%
2012Age 58

Political threats and personal risk related to subsidy reforms

Received death threats and her mother was kidnapped in 2012 amid efforts to sanitize fuel subsidy payments in Nigeria.

1/1/2012Net Worth: $1,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2013Age 59

Established Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Corporation (NMRC)

Instrumental in establishing the NMRC to stimulate Nigeria's housing sector (2013).

1/1/2013Net Worth: $1,600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2014Age 60

Co-chair, Global Commission on the Economy and Climate

Co-chaired the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate with Nicholas Stern and Paul Polman (since at least 2014).

1/1/2014Net Worth: $1,700,000Source
Confidence
95%
2014Age 60

Received Finance Minister of the Year (Africa Investor Magazine)

Recognized as Finance Minister of the Year by Africa Investor Magazine (2014).

1/1/2014Net Worth: $1,700,000Source
Confidence
90%
2014Age 60

Named one of Fortune's 50 Greatest World Leaders

Included in Fortune's 50 Greatest World Leaders list (2015 citation; recognition period span noted in bios).

1/1/2014Net Worth: $1,700,000Source
Confidence
90%
2014Age 60

GDP rebasing — Nigeria becomes Africa's largest economy

Oversaw the National Bureau of Statistics re-basing of GDP in 2014, which resulted in Nigeria emerging as Africa's largest economy.

1/1/2014Net Worth: $1,700,000Source
Confidence
98%
2014Age 60

Founded Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (C-SEA)

Founder of C-SEA, a development research think-tank based in Abuja (founding acknowledged; year not explicitly stated in source — listed here with moderate confidence).

1/1/2014Net Worth: $1,700,000Source
Confidence
50%
2015Age 61

Left Lazard senior advisory role

Served as Senior Advisor to Lazard from 2015 until about 2019 (some bios list 2015–2019 tenure).

1/1/2015Net Worth: $2,200,000Source
Confidence
90%
2015Age 61

Joined Lazard as Senior Advisor

Became a Senior Advisor at investment bank Lazard (tenure cited as 2015–2019).

1/1/2015Net Worth: $2,200,000Source
Confidence
90%
2015Age 61

Left office as Finance Minister (end of second term)

Concluded service as Nigeria's Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy on 29 May 2015.

5/29/2015Net Worth: $1,800,000Source
Confidence
98%
2016Age 62

Member, AIIB International Advisory Panel

Joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's International Advisory Panel (since 2016).

1/1/2016Net Worth: $2,500,000Source
Confidence
90%
2016Age 62

Appointed Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Board Chair)

Became Chair of Gavi's Board in 2016 and served through 2020, overseeing vaccine alliance governance during critical years.

1/1/2016Net Worth: $2,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2016Age 62

Global Fairness Award & Power with Purpose Award

Received Global Fairness Award (Global Fairness Initiative) and Power with Purpose Award (Devex) for contributions to sustainable development (2016).

1/1/2016Net Worth: $2,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2017Age 63

Member, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) International Advisory Board

Joined JICA's International Advisory Board (first meeting referenced 2017).

1/1/2017Net Worth: $3,000,000Source
Confidence
90%
2017Age 63

Joined Standard Chartered PLC Board as Independent Non-executive Director

Appointed to the board of Standard Chartered (service noted as beginning in 2017).

1/1/2017Net Worth: $3,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2017Age 63

Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Award

Received the Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Award from the Aspen Institute (2017).

1/1/2017Net Worth: $3,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2018Age 64

Published 'Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous'

Published book 'Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines' (MIT Press, 2018).

1/1/2018Net Worth: $3,600,000Source
Confidence
98%
2018Age 64

Appointed to Twitter Board of Directors

Joined Twitter's board (appointment announced 19 July 2018).

1/1/2018Net Worth: $3,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2018Age 64

Joined World Economic Forum and other international advisory boards (ongoing)

Served on many boards/advisory councils including Rockefeller Foundation, Carnegie Endowment, One Campaign, Mercy Corps, and others across 2014–2021.

1/1/2018Net Worth: $3,500,000Source
Confidence
90%
2018Age 64

Joined Bloomberg New Economy Forum Advisory Board

Named to the advisory board of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum (since 2018).

1/1/2018Net Worth: $3,500,000Source
Confidence
90%
2019Age 65

Became U.S. citizen

Acquired United States citizenship in 2019 after decades living and working in the U.S.

1/1/2019Net Worth: $4,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2019Age 65

Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2019).

1/1/2019Net Worth: $3,800,000Source
Confidence
98%
2020Age 66

EU endorses WTO candidacy; U.S. initially withholds support

European Union publicly backed her WTO candidacy (Oct 2020); the Trump administration indicated it would not back her in Oct 2020.

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,600,000Source
Confidence
95%
2020Age 66

Co-founder / early architect of COVAX Facility

Cited as one of the founders of the COVAX Facility to get affordable vaccines to low- and middle-income countries (2020 pandemic response).

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,600,000Source
Confidence
90%
2020Age 66

WHO Special Envoy for Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator

Named WHO Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (2020).

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,200,000Source
Confidence
95%
2020Age 66

Co-authored 'Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons'

Contributed a chapter/sections and co-authored with Julia Gillard; book published by Penguin in 2020.

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2020Age 66

Appointed AU Special Envoy for COVID-19 economic support

Appointed by the African Union to solicit international financial support for Africa to address the economic impact of COVID-19 (2020).

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,200,000Source
Confidence
95%
2020Age 66

Named Forbes Africa 'African of the Year'

Recognized as African of the Year by Forbes Africa (2020).

1/1/2020Net Worth: $4,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2020Age 66

Nominated by Nigeria as candidate for WTO Director-General

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria's candidate for WTO Director-General (June 2020).

6/1/2020Net Worth: $4,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2021Age 66

Stepped down from Twitter board

Stepped down from Twitter Board of Directors effective 28 February 2021 in connection with appointment as WTO Director-General.

1/1/2021Net Worth: $7,000,000Source
Confidence
98%
2021Age 66

Listed among Financial Times' 25 Most Influential Women

Included in Financial Times' list of 25 most influential women (2021).

1/1/2021Net Worth: $7,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2021Age 66

Appointed Co-chair of G20 HLIP on financing global commons for pandemic preparedness

Named co-chair alongside Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Lawrence Summers of the G20 High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing the global commons for pandemic preparedness (early 2021).

1/1/2021Net Worth: $5,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2021Age 67

Named TIME 100 Most Influential People (2021 list)

Listed among TIME's Top 100 Most Influential People in 2021 (also listed earlier in 2014).

1/1/2021Net Worth: $7,300,000Source
Confidence
95%
2021Age 66

U.S. announces support; rival Yoo withdraws

On 5 Feb 2021 Yoo Myung-hee withdrew; the Biden administration announced strong support for Okonjo-Iweala's WTO candidacy.

2/5/2021Net Worth: $5,200,000Source
Confidence
99%
2021Age 66

Unanimously appointed Director‑General of the WTO

WTO Members unanimously appointed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General on 15 February 2021 — first woman and first African in the role.

2/15/2021Net Worth: $6,000,000Source
Confidence
99%
2021Age 66

Assumed office as WTO Director-General

Began her term as the seventh Director-General of the World Trade Organization on 1 March 2021.

3/1/2021Net Worth: $7,000,000Source
Confidence
99%
2021Age 67

Joined Multilateral Leaders Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics, Diagnostics

Joined task force co-chaired by Tedros Adhanom and David Malpass to focus on developing country access (July 2021).

7/1/2021Net Worth: $7,200,000Source
Confidence
95%
2022Age 68

Awarded Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)

Conferred Nigeria's second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON, 2022).

1/1/2022Net Worth: $8,500,000Source
Confidence
98%
2022Age 68

Humanitarian Award for a Lifetime of Public Service (United Nations Association of New York)

Received a lifetime humanitarian award recognizing public service and advocacy (2022).

1/1/2022Net Worth: $9,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2022Age 68

Joined Group of Thirty (G30)

Became a member of The Group of Thirty (G30), an independent body of leading finance policymakers (Jan 2022).

1/1/2022Net Worth: $8,000,000Source
Confidence
95%
2023Age 69

Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrant Award

Honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrant Award (2023).

1/1/2023Net Worth: $9,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2023Age 69

Received Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (Brazil)

Conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco by the Federative Republic of Brazil (2023).

1/1/2023Net Worth: $9,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2024Age 70

Honorary degree from the University of Oxford

Received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford (June 2024).

1/1/2024Net Worth: $10,500,000Source
Confidence
95%
2024Age 70

Reappointed WTO Director-General for second term

WTO reappointed Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General on 29 November 2024; second four-year term to begin 1 September 2025.

11/1/2024Net Worth: $12,000,000Source
Confidence
98%