Two prominent Nigerian figures, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media executive Mo Abudu, have been named among Forbes’ 100 World’s Most Powerful Women for 2025.
The annual ranking, released on Wednesday, recognises influential women shaping global business, politics, media, and leadership. This year’s list underscores the rising global footprint of Nigerian women in international trade and entertainment.
They feature alongside notable world leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who tops the list; European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde (No. 2); Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi (No. 3); Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum (No. 5); and Namibia’s Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (No. 79).
Okonjo-Iweala, ranked 92nd, currently serves as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. She made history in 2021 as the first woman and first African to lead the global trade body.
Abudu, placed 98th, is the founder of EbonyLife Media and one of Africa’s most influential media entrepreneurs. Since launching EbonyLife TV in 2006, she has expanded the network’s reach to more than 49 countries, including markets in the UK and the Caribbean.
