Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was born on June 13, 1954, in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria. She comes from a distinguished academic family; her father, Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, was a prominent economist and the traditional ruler (Obi) of the Ogwashi-Ukwu community.

She attended Queen’s School, Enugu, and the International School Ibadan for her secondary education. Okonjo-Iweala pursued higher education in the United States, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University in 1976. She then obtained her Ph.D. in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala began her career at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., where she worked for over 25 years, rising to the position of Managing Director. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the Bank’s operations in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. She was instrumental in several global initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and supporting sustainable development.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala served as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance twice, from 2003 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2015. During her tenure, she implemented significant economic reforms that helped stabilize Nigeria’s economy and promote transparency and accountability in government finances. Some of her notable achievements include:

Debt Relief: She played a key role in securing an $18 billion debt relief deal from the Paris Club, which led to Nigeria’s exit from the Paris Club group of indebted nations.
Economic Reforms: Okonjo-Iweala spearheaded various reforms in public financial management, including the implementation of the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to reduce corruption and improve efficiency.
Sovereign Wealth Fund: She established Nigeria’s first Sovereign Wealth Fund to manage the country’s oil revenues more effectively.