Anthony Areh
The Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN) has advised the new Director General (DG) of World Trade organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to expand the frontiers of Nigerian traders in global commercial activities.
The President of the association, Alhaji Jamilu Abbas, gave the advice while reacting to the appointment of Okonjo-Iweala in Abuja on Tuesday.
Iweala was appointed the seventh DG of the WTO on Monday, making her the first woman and the first African to head the multilateral trade body.
Abbas explained that Nigerians were industrious and engaged in different genuine and legitimate trades, hence the need to support and provide them with enabling environment for their businesses to thrive globally.
He said the new DG should use her office to initiate policies and programmes that would boost job creation and reduce poverty in Nigeria as well as Africa.
He congratulated Okonjo-Iweala for the feat achieved as the first woman and Africa to head WTO.
“I am excited on this development, I congratulate her, Women, Nigeria, Africa and President Muhammadu Buhari for her emergence as Director General of WTO. I hope she will be a good ambassador in the world space.
“It is a good thing for the President Buhari that in his time we have a Nigerians heading WTO and African Development Bank (AfDB) as well as another Nigerian well positioned in the United Nations,” he added.
