Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Former Finance Minister of Nigeria

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is currently a fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From 2003 to 2006, she served first as Finance Minister and — then as Foreign Minister — of Nigeria under President Olusegun Obasanjo. She was the first woman to hold both these positions in Nigeria.

Prior to her ministerial career, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group.

Many observers regard her structural and macroeconomic reforms as a pivotal step in safeguarding Nigeria’s public finances and overcoming corruption in the country.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is a frequent speaker and writer on the fight against corruption and has outlined several challenges of reform.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was educated at Harvard University — and has a Ph.D. in regional economics and development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).