Finance Ministers of South Africa, Nigeria and Angola call for a news conference

Here is a bit of interesting news: 

“The finance ministers of South Africa, Nigeria and Angola called a news conference for Friday likely to address reports that they are backing Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become President of the World Bank.

“The Finance Ministers of Angola, Nigeria and South Africa are meeting in Pretoria tomorrow,” a statement from South Africa’s Treasury said, without giving details of the agenda. ”

More here 

One thought on “Finance Ministers of South Africa, Nigeria and Angola call for a news conference

  1. I have never been much of a fanatic on the issue or World Bank presidency, as sometimes I get the feeling it might be better for us in the developing world to live with a quite transparent USA monopoly in the appointment of the World Bank president, than with a perhaps less transparent meritocracy appointment monopoly. There are of course always clear advantages in knowing, without a doubt, who you are dealing with.

    That said and without meaning to take away any merits from other developing world candidates like Jose Antonio Ocampo, since when as an Executive Director of the World Bank 2002-2004 I had the chance to see Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala acting as vice-president and corporate secretary, I must say that I am sure she would be a great president, in these times fraught with so many difficulties.

    Nonetheless, if we from the developing countries are finally not able to name a worthy non American president to the World Bank, then let us at least hope, for the World Banks sake, and our own, that someone solid neutral, non-controversial and acceptable to as a wide part of America as possible is named, because otherwise, we might end up not having the cake nor being able to eat it.

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