South Africa backs Nigerian for World Bank boss
Mar 23, 2012, 11:18 AM
JOHANNESBURG (AP) – South Africa’s finance minister says his nation has backed the nomination of Nigeria’s finance minister for the top job at the U.S.-based World Bank.
Minister Pravin Gordhan met with his Nigerian counterpart Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Angola’s economic planning minister in Pretoria on Friday. All three countries endorsed Okonjo-Iweala to be the next World Bank president.
A joint statement said she has all the credentials and qualities to be “an outstanding leader” and the appointment “should be merit-based, open and transparent.”
Okonjo-Iweala would be the first African to head the bank. She is an economist and diplomat.
South Africa holds one of the three African seats on the 25-member World Bank board.
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