WTO Chief Urges Africa to Seize Supply Chain Opportunities Amid Global Diversification
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has highlighted a significant opportunity for Africa to capitalize on the global shift towards diversified supply chains. Speaking at the Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja, she emphasized the need for African countries to develop competitive manufacturing ecosystems. Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the risks of over-reliance on a few countries for supply chains, prompting multinational companies to reconsider their sourcing and manufacturing strategies. She urged African nations to focus on building regional value chains around critical minerals, rather than exporting raw materials, to enhance their competitiveness against regions like Asia and Latin America. 
