Koko Maxwella 
WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
DAVOS, Switzerland – World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urges Nigeria to aggressively court global investors and relocate supply chains, warning that failure to act quickly could cost the country jobs, manufacturing growth and economic relevance.
Speaking Wednesday at Nigeria House during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Okonjo-Iweala says escalating geopolitical tensions — particularly between the United States and China — are reshaping global trade patterns and creating rare opportunities for emerging economies.
“Companies are diversifying supply chains to reduce risk,” she says. “Nigeria must deliberately position itself to attract a share of that movement.”
She explains that firms increasingly adopt “China+1” strategies, relocating production to alternative markets as tariffs and trade restrictions disrupt long-standing supply routes. While much of this shift remains within Asia, Okonjo-Iweala insists Africa’s largest economy can compete — if it markets itself decisively.
“What I would like to see is a continued effort to attract investment,” she says. “Everything we can do to showcase Nigeria as worthy of investment is what we should be doing.”
She stresses that recent economic reforms must now translate into job creation, noting that stabilisation alone is insufficient. “We need to move from stabilisation to jobs,” she says. “That is where the gap is.”
Okonjo-Iweala highlights solar manufacturing, textiles and pharmaceuticals as sectors Nigeria can localise instead of importing. “We have renewable capacity. Let’s build solar panels here,” she says. “Many textiles’ Nigerians wear today are not made in Nigeria — that must change.”
The panel includes Bank of Industry Managing Director, Dr Oludapo Olusi, as discussions centre on financing Nigeria’s role in digital trade and infrastructure.
Okonjo-Iweala concludes that Nigeria must actively pursue investors globally, warning that supply chains will not relocate without intentional policy, promotion and execution.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Hussaini Ibrahim 