Below are excepts from the blog:
Mark Lowcock – 17 April 2015
My first meeting was with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Nigerian Finance Minister – not exactly the world’s easiest role. She first did this job 12 years ago under President Obasanjo, working to normalise and stabilise the economic situation for the benefit of the country and region and successfully negotiating debt relief which paved the way for a decade of 8% growth in Nigeria. She then became the senior Managing Director at the World Bank, before accepting the call to serve her country again as Coordinating Minister for the Economy since 2011, an exceedingly difficult job during a challenging period. She’s now working hard to ensure a responsible and effective handover to the incoming administration, following last month’s elections heralding Nigeria’s first ever peaceful and democratic transfer of power from one civilian headed political party to another. Ngozi is one of the world’s most admired and respected Finance Ministers.
All countries need their best people to serve at home, particularly in times of crisis. Ngozi is a hero for Nigeria, and for the international community more broadly, for having done so. She deserves the thanks of her country, and the wider community – and also a bit of a rest. But I hope she will be back in senior positions again soon. Many people thought she would make an excellent President of the World Bank, but there are many big roles she could take on with success and distinction.
