WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged the world to abandon outdated stereotypes about Africa.
She highlighted growing reforms, citizen activism, and self-determination reshaping governance and development across the continent.
Former Nigerian Finance Minister and current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on the international community to move past outdated stereotypes that portray Africa as synonymous with corruption and dependency.
Speaking at a TED Talk, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that citizens across the continent are increasingly rejecting corrupt leadership and pushing for reforms that can reshape governance and strengthen economies.
She noted that while corruption remains a challenge, governments and civic groups in many African countries are working hard to combat it and progress is being recorded. According to her, there is now stronger political will and public pressure to tackle corruption than in the past.
Okonjo-Iweala also urged the world to stop seeing Africa only as a recipient of aid and charity, saying the continent’s people are determined to take control of their own future through reforms, stronger democratic institutions, and openness to change. She explained that partnerships with international allies are welcome but stressed that Africans must lead the drive for transformation themselves.
Using Nigeria as a case study, the WTO chief cited ongoing reform efforts in one of Africa’s largest economies as evidence of a broader shift across the continent. Her message underscored a new narrative of African self-determination and ownership of its development agenda.
She concluded by asserting that Nigeria’s scale and influence make it central to Africa’s trajectory, highlighting its importance to the continent’s political and economic future.
