Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mo Abudu Make Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women List for 2025
Two Nigerian women, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu, have been named among Forbes’ 100 World’s Most Powerful Women of 2025, a list celebrating women who wield significant influence across business, politics, culture, and global leadership. The announcement was made on Forbes’ official website on Wednesday, highlighting the growing global impact of these Nigerian leaders.
They join an elite roster that includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (No. 1), 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).
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ranked 92nd, serves as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, making her the first woman and first African to hold the position since March 2021. Forbes describes her as “an economist and international development professional” with over 30 years of experience spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America.
She has served two terms as Nigeria’s Finance Minister (2003–2006 and 2011–2015) and briefly as Foreign Minister in 2006. Okonjo-Iweala also chaired the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has immunised more than 760 million children worldwide.
A Harvard graduate with a doctorate from MIT, the 71-year-old mother of four is celebrated for her belief in trade as a tool to lift developing countries out of poverty and advance sustainable development.
Mo Abudu, ranked 98th, is a media entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of EbonyLife Media. She launched EbonyLife TV in 2006, which now broadcasts in over 49 countries, including the UK and Caribbean.
Forbes notes that Abudu secured major partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix, making EbonyLife the first African media company to sign a multi-title deal with the streaming giant. In November 2025, the company launched EbonyLife ON Plus, a digital platform available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Born in London, Abudu spent part of her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK. Forbes describes her as “one of the most influential women in global media.”
This year’s Forbes list also reflects women’s increasing influence in technology and artificial intelligence, featuring leaders like Lisa Su (AMD, No. 10), Ruth Porat (Alphabet, No. 12), Colette Kress (Nvidia, No. 37), Susan Li (Meta, No. 41), and Amy Hood (Microsoft, No. 16).
Other notable entries include Daniela Amodei (No. 73), co-founder of Anthropic and a self-made billionaire, Sarah Friar (No. 50), CFO of OpenAI, and entertainment personalities like Kim Kardashian (No. 71), recognised for growing Skims to a $5 billion valuation. The women behind Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters also earned a spot at No. 100, acknowledged for commanding a global fan base across generations and regions.
