The finance summit has been prepared in close coordination with the African Union's special envoys for mobilising funds to tackle Covid-19 including: Tidjane Thiam the Ivorian former CEO of Credit Suisse bank; Rwandan economist and former head of the African Development Bank Donald Kaberuka; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala head of the World Trade Organization...

The situation has led to calls for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the World Trade Organization's new head to make her first action an initiative to set aside Intellectual Property patent laws to allow for greater production of Covid-19 vaccines 'for the common good' (AC Dispatches Rich countries slowly accept the pitfalls of vaccine nationalism & Despite denials vaccine nationalism is rampant)...

But there is also hope that political changes in the United States could improve global trading relationships and boost a World Trade Organization that could be led by former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala if the US lifts its veto on her appointment (AC Vol 61 No 22 One last hurdle)...

It is thought in African regional health policy circles that if the former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is confirmed as the new director-general of the WTO she will lend a sympathetic ear especially given her current role as chair of Gavi (AC Vol 61 No 22 One last hurdle)...

The 18-member council appointed last year includes international experts such as Harvard University's Professor Dani Rodrik University College London's Professor Mariana Mazzucato former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala former governor of the Bank of Tanzania Professor Benno Ndulu former chief economic advisor to former President Thabo Mbeki Professor Alan Hirsch and economist Thabi Leoka...