Two prominent Nigerian figures, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu, have been featured on the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
The ranking, released on Wednesday, celebrates women who are shaping global affairs through leadership in politics, business, media, and culture.
Their inclusion underscores the growing international influence of Nigerian women, particularly in global trade and entertainment.
The list is topped by major world leaders, including:
Ursula von der Leyen – President, European Commission (No. 1)
Christine Lagarde – President, European Central Bank (No. 2)
Sanae Takaichi – Japan’s first female Prime Minister (No. 3)
Claudia Sheinbaum – President of Mexico (No. 5)
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah – Prime Minister of Namibia (No. 79)
Okonjo-Iweala, currently serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, occupies the 92nd spot.
She is the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO, a role she assumed in March 2021.
Forbes highlights her as an accomplished economist and development expert with over three decades of experience across several continents.
Her past roles include two terms as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and a brief stint as Foreign Affairs Minister.
She also chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has provided vaccines to over 760 million children worldwide.
A graduate of Harvard University with a PhD from MIT, Okonjo-Iweala remains a strong advocate for using trade as a tool to drive growth and reduce poverty in developing nations.
Media mogul Mo Abudu, placed 98th on the list, is celebrated for her influence in entertainment and global media.
She is the founder of EbonyLife Media, which began with the launch of EbonyLife TV in 2006 and now broadcasts in more than 49 countries, including the UK and parts of the Caribbean.
Forbes notes Abudu’s success in striking major international partnerships, with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix, becoming the first African media company to sign a multi-title deal with the streaming platform.
In November 2025, EbonyLife further expanded its digital footprint with the launch of EbonyLife ON Plus, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Born in London and raised partly in Nigeria, Abudu is widely described as one of the most influential women in global media.
The 2025 ranking also highlights the increasing prominence of women in technology and AI, featuring:
Lisa Su – CEO, AMD (No. 10)
Ruth Porat – President & CIO, Alphabet (No. 12)
Colette Kress – CFO, Nvidia (No. 37)
Susan Li – CFO, Meta (No. 41)
Amy Hood – CFO, Microsoft (No. 16)
Also recognised are Daniela Amodei (No. 73), co-founder and president of Anthropic, whose company’s valuation hit $183 billion, and Sarah Friar (No. 50), CFO of OpenAI.
In entertainment, newcomer Kim Kardashian (No. 71) made the list after securing $225 million in funds for Skims, valued at $5 billion, and launching a NikeSKIMS line with Nike.
Forbes’ list also gives a nod to the women of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters (No. 100), praised for cultivating a massive, border-spanning global fan base.
