In case you haven’t heard, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Uzodinma Iweala’s mom, has been made the Director General of the World Trade Organization.

While there’s plenty of coverage on this appointment, we think the most important comes from her own son, Uzodinma Iweala — the author of Beasts of No Nation and Speak No Evil. In an Instagram post, he writes a super-sweet note about what Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment means, both to the world, to women around the world, and to him, as her son.

Check it out below!

Today my mother, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was confirmed as the first African woman to lead the @worldtradeorganization. It was a long road that started in July of 2020. I was lucky enough to accompany her to Geneva, Switzerland as moral support while she undertook the first round of the selection process. That’s when we took this picture.

I’ve read a number of articles about her appointment that say “Now, the work begins!” This is true, but it’s also clear that such statements don’t take into account the insane amount of work that women (especially Black women) must do just to be considered for positions for which they are clearly qualified. It’s not just my mother. It’s women like @staceyabrams or Vice-President @kamalaharris and so many others on whom the cameras do not focus, about whom the newspapers do not write.

It goes without saying that I’m so very proud. I’m excited to see how she gets to work, how she will use the position to make global trade more equitable and conscious of its impact on our natural environment. It’s also a victory for multilateralism in a moment where some would rather focus on nationalistic ideas that divide, even while we face unprecedented global crises that do not heed borders.

I’ve learned a lot from my mother’s determination, her boundless energy when working to support others, and her unwillingness to let others dictate her future. I’ll be playing Prince Nico Mbarga’s Sweet Mother on repeat today — join me!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Uzodinma Iweala (@uiweala)

Our congratulations to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala!