Okonjo-Iweala gets two international jobs

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for minister of finance, has been appointed as a senior adviser of Lazard, an international financial advisory and investment bank.

The former minister is expected to advise countries on structuring their finances and dealing with debt issues.

Matthieu Pigasse, a sovereign advisory at Lazard, described Okonjo-Iweala as an asset to the organisation.

“We are proud to welcome Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as a senior advisor to our world-leading sovereign advisory group,” he said.

“She will bring a unique international expertise and experience that will benefit both our sovereign and corporate clients.”

She has also been appointed as head of the board of GAVI, an international public-private partnership committed to saving the lives of children and protecting people’s health by improving access to immunisation.

Okonjo-Iweala succeeded Dagfinn Høybråten, a former Norwegian minister of health and current secretary-general of the Nordic council of ministers, at GAVI.

Commenting on the new appointments, Okonjo-Iweala said: “I am excited to be embarking on this fresh journey. The two appointments will enable me to continue doing what I know best – rendering public service and using my financial and economist skills. I thank the international community for the recognition and continued support. I am also grateful for the prayers and support of many Nigerians.”

Okonjo-Iweala is the third top official of the immediate-past administration to have got international appointments in recent times.

Akinwunmi Adesina, who was the minister of agriculture, is the current president of the African Development Bank (AFDB) and Arunma Oteh, who served as the director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has been appointed as vice-president (treasury) at the World Bank.