Go Back

SPOTLIGHT – AMBASSADOR YONOV FREDERICK AGAH, PhD

 

• CLASS OF ‘74
• DG, NIGERIAN OFFICE FOR TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (NOTN)
• FIRST NIGERIAN DDG,WTO GENEVA
• ECONOMIST, TRADE EXPERT AND CAREER DIPLOMAT
• LIVES IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

 

 

Amb. Yonov Agah was born on 28^th August, 1956 at Igbor, Gwer LGA of Benue State.

He attended St. Anthony’s Primary School, Aduku, Gwer LGA, Benue State from January 1965 to December 1968.  He then switched to Holy Ghost Primary School, Makurdi from January to December, 1969.

 

Yonov went to Mt. St. Gabriel’s Secondary School, Makurdi for his secondary education graduating in 1974. Thereafter he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, for both B.Sc. and M.Sc. (Econs). He also holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Jos and LL.B from University of Abuja.

 

With very humble beginings, Amb. Agah has had a rich career spanning over forty years mostly in the area of international/multilateral trade in Geneva.

This includes as:

• Lecturer (NYSC), Federal College of Technical Education, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria; September 1978 – July 1979.

 

• Lecturer, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, Nigeria; November 1979 – April 1981.

 

• Lecturer III, Advanced Teachers’ College, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria; September 1981 – March 1982.

 

• Senior Features Writer, The Voice Newspapers, Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria; April – October 1982.

 

• Circulation Manager, Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria; October 1982 – September 1984.

 

• Sales Manager, Benue Bottling Company Ltd., Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria; October 1984 – September, 1987.

 

• Field Manager, UTC Nigeria Plc, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria; October 1990 – January 1991.

 

• Assistant Director (Multilateral), Federal Ministry of Commerce, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria; February 1991 – September 1993.

 

• Deputy Director (Multilateral), Federal Ministry of Commerce, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria; October 1993 – 21^st October, 2002.

 

• Director (External Trade), Federal Ministry of Commerce, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria; 22^nd October, 2002 – 23^rd July, 2005.

 

• Ambassador to WTO, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland, July, 2005 – October 2013.

 

• Deputy Director – General, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Geneva, Switzerland; October 2013 – March 2021.

 

• Director – General/Chief Trade Negotiator, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), Abuja, Nigeria; March 2021 – to date.  

 

As Nigeria’s Ambassador to the WTO, Ambassador Agah served as the Alternate Chief Negotiator for the Doha Round; and Head of Nigeria's Trade Office to the WTO in the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The Trade Office is responsible for the coordination of Nigeria’s participation in Geneva-based trade-related international organizations, particularly the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the WTO.

He served as Chair of the WTO's General Council in 2011; and was responsible for organising the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC8). He has also served as Chair of the following WTO bodies: Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in 2010; Council for Trade in Services (CTS) in 2009; Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) in 2008; Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in 2007; and Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) in 2006. He was the Chair of the Council for TRIPS, Special Session from 2012 to 2013. Ambassador Agah also served as a Friend  of the Chair (Facilitator) for the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) negotiations, from 2012 to 2013.

 

His cognate experience and core assignments include:

• Responsibility for the coordination of Nigeria’s participation in the GATT/WTO, UNCTAD and ECOWAS activities and ECOWAS/EU EPA negotiations, including preparation of negotiating positions, notifications and realignment of national legislation.
• Coordination of Nigeria’s consultations with the GATT WTO Committee on Balance of Payments (BOP) Restrictions, 1991 – 1998.
• Coordination of the First, Second and Third Trade Policy Reviews of Nigeria under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) of GATT/WTO in 1991, 1998 and 2005, respectively.
• Coordinator/Programme Manager, UNDP-Sponsored Technical Assistance Programme on Strengthening of the External Trade Sector of the Nigerian Economy, 1992 – 1993.
• Alternate Chairman, Inter-Governmental Working Group (IWG) of the UNCTAD – Sponsored Coordinated African Programme of Technical Assistance on Services (CAPAS), 1993 – 1995.
• Alternate Chief Negotiator of Nigeria for the WTO Doha Round Negotiations.

 

His fellowships and community service:

 

1. Granted Fellowship under the International Visitors Programme of the United States Government (U.S. Trade and World Markets), 1999.

 

2. Director, Nigerian Agricultural, Cooperatives and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB), 2004-2005.

 

                (iii)        Member, Nigeria Customs Service Board, 2002-2005.

 

    (iv)         Secretary, Implementation and Advisory Committee on the

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), 2000–2004.

 

                 (v)         Chairman, Council for Trade in Goods (CTG), World Trade

      Organisation (WTO), Geneva, 2006.

 

(vi)        Chairman, Council for TRIPS, World Trade Organisation

             (WTO), Geneva, 2007.

 

(vii)       Chairman, Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), World Trade 

       Organisation (WTO), 2008.

 

    (viii)      Chairman, Council for Trade in Services (CTS), World Trade  

                              Organisation (WTO), 2009.

 

           (ix)       Chairman, Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), World Trade Organisation

                             (WTO), 2010.

           

                 (x)        Chairman, General Council (GC), World Trade Organisation (WTO),

                              2011.

 

                 (xi)       Facilitator (Friend of the Chair), Negotiating Group on Trade

      Facilitation (NGTFA), 2012 – 2013.  

             

                 (xii)       Chairman, Special Session of the Council for TRIPS, World Trade

                              Organisation (WTO), February 2012 to September 2013.

Amb. Agah is the only Nigerian and second African ever to be Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

He has attended many continuining education/proficiency programmes and presented many research and seminar papers the world over. He will be honored in Abuja on Sunday 10^th December 2023.

 

 

Amb. Yonov Fred Agah is happily married with children and lives in Abuja Nigeria.

 

 

 

---

Posted 11 months ago