WTO DG, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, GCON, is to deliver the Pre-Convocation Lecture of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, as part of activities marking the institution’s 45th Convocation Ceremony.
The lecture, scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026, will be chaired by Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, a former two-time Minister of Finance and Nigeria’s first female Foreign Affairs Minister, is widely celebrated for her role in spearheading negotiations with the Paris Club during her first tenure as Finance Minister, which culminated in the historic debt relief that saw Nigeria secure a $30 billion debt write-off, including the outright cancellation of $18 billion.
The Pre-Convocation Lecture will take place at the Abdullahi Mahadi Conference Centre, ABU Main Campus, Samaru, Zaria.
The main Convocation Ceremony is billed for Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Mamman Kontagora Square, ABU Main Campus, Samaru, Zaria.
In a notification and invitation issued ahead of the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Adamu Ahmed, said preparations were in advanced stages to ensure a successful convocation.
According to him, the Chancellor of the university, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, CFR, the Obi of Onitsha, will grace the Pre-Convocation Lecture.
Also expected at the event are His Highness, Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, the Emir of Zazzau, visiting vice-chancellors from public and private universities, as well as prominent Nigerians, including captains of industry, seasoned bankers and technocrats.
Prof Ahmed, on behalf of the Chancellor, Governing Council, Senate, staff and students of Ahmadu Bello University, invited members of the general public to attend the Pre-Convocation Lecture and the 45th Convocation Ceremony.
