Coronavirus: Okonjo-Iweala appointed WHO's special envoy in battle against pandemic
- Nigerian economist and many times presidential cabinet member, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, added another feather to her cap with a fresh appointment by WHO
- The appointment, which was announced on Friday, April 24, by WHO's director-general Ghebreyesus, brings Okonjo-Iweala's international appointments to 4 in less than 2 months
- In her latest appointment, Okonjo-Iweala will work alongside other renowned experts to lead an aspect of WHO's battle against COVID 19
A former finance minister and coordinating minister of the Nigerian economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a special envoy in the global battle against coronavirus.
Okonjo-Iweala's appointment as a Special Envoy for the newly inaugurated Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator of WHO was announced by its director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Ghebreyesus, who announced the appointment during the launch of the ACT Accelerator — via webinar from Geneva, Switzerland on Friday, April 24, said Okonjo-Iweala would serve alongside British business executive, Sir Andrew Witty in the same capacity, to mobilise international commitment to the initiative.
He tweeted his gratitude on Friday:
ACT is an international collaboration to quicken the creation, production, and equitable distribution of COVID-18 drug, tests kits, and vaccines around the globe.
Legit.ng notes that this is the fourth international assignment given to Okonjo-Iweala in less than two months.
In March, South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa appointed her a member of the country’s Economic Advisory Council.
Legit.ng also reported that about 4 weeks later on April 10, the International Monetary Fund named her a member of the fund’s External Advisory Group.
Two days later, on April 12, Okonjo-Iweala was appointed one of the four Special Envoys of the African Union (AU) to help Africa mobilise international support for its efforts toward addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
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The AU special envoys also included Donald Kaberuka, Tidjane Thiam and Trevor Manuel and their duties to ensure that G20, the European Union and other international financial institutions, fulfil their pledges to Africa.
In a related vein, Legit.ng also reported that Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari was appointed as the champion of the COVID-19 response by ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The appointment was made when the president participated in extraordinary summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) from Abuja via teleconference.
The summit was convened to deliberate on the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential aide, Femi Adesina said in a statement.
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Source: Legit.ng
