Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Global trade tensions dominate talks as members of the World Trade Organization gather in Yaoundé for a crucial ministerial conference amid geopolitical strain and rising protectionism.
Opening the four-day summit on Wednesday, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala calls for urgent reform, warning that unilateral trade actions threaten the multilateral system.
“We must launch the next chapter of the multilateral trading system,” she says.
The meeting follows stalled negotiations on key issues such as agriculture and fisheries, alongside a paralysed dispute settlement system.
European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic pushes for structural reforms to ensure fair competition.
“The level playing field must be better tackled,” he says.
However, divisions remain sharp. The United States, under Donald Trump, questions core WTO principles, including the most-favoured nation rule, while China insists on preserving a rules-based system.
Former WTO chief Pascal Lamy warns the stakes go beyond reform.
“It is about whether the WTO still has a role to play,” he says.
With consensus elusive, the conference underscores uncertainty over the future of global trade governance.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
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