Forbes has listed two Nigerians, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu, among the 100 World’s Most Powerful Women for 2025.
The ranking, released on Dec. 10, highlights women shaping global policy, business and culture.
Okonjo-Iweala, placed at 92, serves as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and is the first African and first woman to hold the position. Forbes cites her three decades of work in economic development across multiple continents. She previously served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, briefly as Foreign Affairs Minister, and chaired Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has helped immunise more than 760 million children.
She also led the World Bank’s 2010 fundraising effort that generated 49.3 billion dollars in grants and low-interest loans for the world’s poorest countries. After leaving office in Nigeria, she continued to hold major global roles, including heading Gavi between 2016 and 2020 and co-chairing the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. WTO member states renewed her mandate in late 2024.
Mo Abudu, ranked 98th, is the founder of EbonyLife Media and is recognised for her influence in media and philanthropy.
The 2025 list also highlights the rising impact of women in technology, politics and entertainment, with African leaders such as Mary Vilakazi of FirstRand Group, Judith Suminwa Tuluka of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and Mpumi Madisa of Bidvest included in the lineup.
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