In a keenly contested election, Okonjo-Iweala beat her rival, South Korean Yoo Myung hee, with a wide margin. She polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat Myung Hee at the final stage of the race.

Okonjo-Iweala received widespread support from Africa and other continents before the election which took place today October 28.

Her victory comes days after European Union member nations backed her candidacy against Ms Myung hee, who was supported by the United States.

The official announcement is expected to be made by the WTO at 3 pm Nigerian time today.

Dangote expressed his support for Okonjo-Iweala via two tweets on his verified Twitter handle @AlikoDangote.

The billionaire businessman tweeted: “A vote for her by all is a step in the right direction. I fully endorse the candidature of @NOIweala to lead @WTO. In these challenging times, @WTO needs the renowned skills and tested experience of Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala @NOIweala to lead the organisation through identified obstacles and strengthen its position as the prime facilitator of international trade.”