Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been name one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine. Many may not know who she is, but she has definitely worked to earn her place among those who were chosen for the honor by working to change the financial outlook for her country.
According to a recent article published by The Root, there are five reasons Okonjo-Iweala deserves the distinction Time magazine has chosen her for. The first reason is that she has been working to get rid of the country’s debt that the nation has carried over from the Cold War era. She has consistently made it a priority to meet with world leaders in an effort to persuade them to eliminate the deft that was incurred as a result of predatory loans.
Okonjo-Iweala is also an Ivy league educated student of world affairs. She graduated magna c*m laude from Harvard and later earned a doctorate degree in regional economic development from MIT. In addition, she has received multiple honorary degrees from schools across the globe. She has put her knowledge to work by holding both the vice president and corporate secretary posts at the world bank, and she was also considered as a replacement for World Bank President when Robert Zoellick’s term ended in 2012.
As Nigerian finance minister, Okonjo-Iweala has chosen to publish financial records of the federal governments expenditures in an effort to promote transparency and reduce division within the administration. Last but not least, she has worked to reduce corruption and help dismantle to global perception that Nigeria is economically corrupt. Few women have accomplished what Okonjo-Iweala has both on a national and global level, and she has definitely more than earned her place on Time’s 100 most influential people list. It will be interesting to see what she can continue to accomplish on behalf of her country and also as a global citizen.
