Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

For now, I'll let others do the talking:

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Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian national is the Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a job she assumed on July 18th 2003. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group.
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Dr. Okonjo-Iweala graduated with a A.B. magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Biosketch of Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala relishes a good fight. Which is just as well. Since Nigeria’s president persuaded her to sort out the country’s infamously chaotic finances and rein in its notorious corruption, she’s been hailed by world leaders and reviled by her fellow countrymen.

"When I became finance minister they called me Okonjo-Wahala — or Trouble Woman,’" chuckles the 51-year-old. "But I don’t care what names they call me. I’m a fighter; I’m very focused on what I’m doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve ... If you get in my way you get kicked."

Nigeria's Trouble Woman

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Okonjo-Iweala deserves our solid support, even when we disagree with the policy thrust of her economic reform strategy. She deserves our support because she not only means well for the country, she takes Nigeria seriously. When Dr Okonjo-Iweala decided to leave her job at the World Bank in Washington DC and answer her nation’s call to service, I wrote in this column to thank her.

In Praise of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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"Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop" goes an old Nigerian saying. The people work while their leaders eat. Not Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Nigeria's combative Finance Minister has rolled up her sleeves since her appointment last year by President Olusegun Obasanjo. A former World Bank vice president, Okonjo-Iweala, 50, was lured back from Washington to her oil-rich yet impoverished West African nation of 130 million to fix its chaotic finances and clean up corruption.

The bottom line: the Nigerian government exported $20 billion worth of oil last year, but its people still scrape by on an average wage of just a dollar a day. Okonjo-Iweala's mission is to make sure more of those billions go to roads, schools and health care.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - the Corruption Cop

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This is a pivotal year for Africa; Britain has set up a Commission for Africa; the Make Poverty History coalition is campaigning for the poor in my continent and around the world; and more far-reaching debt cancellation is once again on the table as the G8 group of rich industrialised countries meets in London this weekend. Given that one in five Africans is Nigerian, it would be a travesty if Nigeria were left out in the cold.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1402210,00.html]Written by Dr. Okonjo-Iweala Herself[/url] (prior to the debt relief)

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See also: Okonjo-Iweala's Weak Spot by Ochereome Nnanna, which shows the terrible depths to which we Nigerian will sometimes sink in a desperate bid to discredit one of our own (allafrica version).

If you have anything to say about this Ngozi Okonjo-Iyeala woman, please feel free to do so here. Thanks.

I hope all goes well with this woman. Based on the increase in federal reserve alone, i feel like she has done a swell job. I hope she can get the money even higher. If she can become a governor and get a base, i'd like to see her run for president or even VP

I'd like to see her do well in her current role, then go back to the US where she can spend her money (I hear she's paid in dollars; a lot of dollars!) in peace. Politics in Nigeria is just too much of a dangerous game for my liking.

In her current role she's was handpicked; she didn't have to go against any desperate, potentially dangerous, opponents. Going for governor, VP, things like that are a bit different. Besides, the women of Nigeria, due to jealousy, will refuse to vote for her .

I think she will be a good example for other women. Show them how to get into elected office and do well. This hand picked minister thing for women needs to end.

Besides, why should she spend all that money abroad? Let her spend some in Nigeria.

Anyway, it's rough out there and ultimately I wish her peace and happiness.

I am happy for her. I wish her everything good in life.

As for politics, I say she ease of ... Nigerians might kill her.

Editor: Be subtle, young lady. Subtle!

That woman is doing her thing, wow i am impressed, i would love to know what colleges she graduated from, she seems well cultured; however she does need a makeover, all that money she's making and she goes out looking like that. She needs to get a polished look that will make her a little more appealing

Toyosi has a point. The woman needs a makeover.

Yes, that article from The Guardian UK...

Was a great article, and considering the fact that that paper is one of the best read on the planet did a lot to bolster our image.

Oknjo-Iweala is a prime example of how things can be when for once we decide to do things right. For example I still can't figure out why they keep hiring thugs to run our sports ministry.

If you want to get the best results in any sector, put a technocrat, a professional in charge and provided the person is focused (you can never rule that out), you will have results.

Another good example (although debatable) is that our banking system has improved since Soludo took over as CBN governor, with all his theories. But then that is a story for another day...

@ hot-angel and toyosi, beauty is not the issue here. Have you ever seen Alan Greenspan?

Looked him up on google....he's ugly. extremely ugly. he also needs make-over.

Can you see why it's hard to find women to put in positions of leadership? All the talk about her achievements and all the ladies can think of is that "she needs a make-over"

I knew seun would say something like that. But seriously speaking, she does need a make-over. I acknowlegde her achivements.

hot-angel:

Looked him up on google.he's ugly. extremely ugly. he also needs make-over.

But he has been the chairman of the US Federal Reserve since before I was born, and to hold a political position that long in that country? He must be good. Wait a minute, HE IS GOOD!

yeah he's good. Looking this this.

really, really forget the make-over and forget alan greenspan okonjo-iweala is doing a fantastic job its never easy having to strengthen out a crooked system especially when the beneficiaries of your endeavours are not too keen on being straightened out!

I quite agree that she should spend the money in Nigeria @ seun life can be really remarkable even here in naija so long as you have the dough so she does not need to go to yankee for the enjoyment (and she can even get the make-over hot-angel is advocating while she's at it but remember say monkey no fine but im mama like am, if she fine or she no fine its really none of our biz-buzz so far as she gets the job done)

however, i agree that she should chill out on politics let the dirty guys kill themselves off before people like her go in, we dont want to waste a good thing.

Dr Iweala is beautiful even without a make-over.

She is also doing a fantastic job in her office! More grease to her elbows.

Dr Ngozi is a product of one of the ivy league schools in the US, I suppose (maybe I'm wrong-too lazy to find out), and she's as smart as the whip! Well, what is there to say about her....? She has shown to all her substance- haven't her justified your dollar denominated pay check?

What I'm still grappling with is the idea of being "debt-free"as a nation- it is almost impossible to do without loans, all developed nations have them...with US being some trillions of dollars in the hole! So the problem is not really the debts, what messed Nigeria up was how borrowed money was spent, and the conditions for paying back!

Secondly, what efforts are being made to initiate a solid mortgage industry in Nigeria? Home purchase is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) personal financial undertakings; having to make about 50% downpayment and pay back millions in 3-5 years is not a sound way to do things. Nigerians need a government-facilitated mortgage system, and this is the time to start.

You're right, you dont need to be debt free, but the ratio of debt to equity has to be better than it is now. Nigeria should be a creditor nation and be able to do what south africa has done for zimbabwe.

There has beena lot of talk about the mortage industry picking up. Its like a trillion dollar industry just wasting away. For those thiinking ahead, you better buy some houses or land now

She is a credit to Nigeria

dablessed:

Dr Iweala is beautiful even without a make-over.

She is also doing a fantastic job in her office! More grease to her elbows.

I second that. She is beautiful inside and out, with her internal beauty (honesty, strength of character ...) being more important because it will stand the test of time.

Keep up the good work Dr. Iweala.

I really appreciate what this ma'am is doing.  But it's all because the President chose the right person.  And there are as many capable people in his cabinet still.  For example, Fola Adeola(former MD of GTB) is doing an astounding work on Pension Reforms.  God bless Okonjo-Iweala.  God bless the President Obasanjo.  God bless Nigeria.  Amin!

There has beena lot of talk about the mortage industry picking up. Its like a trillion dollar industry just wasting away. For those thiinking ahead, you better buy some houses or land now

I would wait a while. For one thing, the laws governing land titles are still a mess, and they are very weakly enforced. For another, mortgage institutions are still offering way too high rates of interest for their deals to be attractive (but perhaps this is because there is still a certain amount of risk attached to lending money in Nigeria).

its best to buy into it while its down, not when its picking. that way you get the most bang for your buck

besides the insecurity of land titles is more of a rural things. in the urban areas its pretty clear

From this picture, she is not beautiful jo. She looks like an illiterate woman with her headtie pushed to the fore of her head like all those market-women selling ponmo. Hehehehehehe!

@ seun[b]Can you see why it's hard to find women to put in positions of leadership? All the talk about her achievements and all the ladies can think of is that "she needs a make-over" Shocked[/b]


Seun, Liberia has a woman running for president. the deputy and VP in south africa, zimbabwe and mozambique are women. africa is likely to have a female president before the US. I dont see why it isnt possible in nigeria is she's good? many people are speaking on this woman's looks because frankly, she needs to be more presentable

Where is her husband sef?

america

ok, tanks.

More! more! More grease to his elbows then! I'm sure she has his support.

She is 51 years old but definitely prettier than most of the girls who are saying she needs a make-over. This is what we call "bad-belle" in Nigeria. You are upset with her because she has been able to achieve so much without depending on men's attraction for her.

You are upset because while you were busy spending all your time in the mirror trying to look good for men, this woman was busy climbing the ladder of success using the right tools - hard work, determination, ambition, intelligence - and not sexual apeal or 'woman-power'.

The people saying she needs to be more presentable are saying absolute nonsense. I think she looks quite good, but then again I think it's absolutely irrelevant. The fact that the girls are harping on something so irrelevant is proof that Nigerian women are not ripe for positions of influence.

Okay oo.. she's pretty.

Seun Sweetie , no one has any beef with your girlfriend okay. All i am saying is she is a public figure and she can do better than that. You're starting to turn this personal. Jeeeez give me a break, i didn't say she looked like beattle-juice all i said was she needs a make-over. And there you go spilling some bruhaha about "you depending on looks get ahead in life" or some garbage like that.
And for the record i am not jealous of her success, i gave her the props she deserves for all her good work. I think she is an excellent role model for Nigerian women everywhere. But to an extent i believe the way you look determines how you are viewed and treated.

Toyosi... I like you. I am cracking up here. (seun's girlfriend eh??)
You make total sense girl.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, Seun's sugar Mummy. Hehehehehe! What a combination! Infact, they fit well well.