Two prominent Nigerian women—Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Mo Abudu, founder of EbonyLife Group—have been named among the most influential figures on the Forbes World’s Most Powerful Women list for 2025.
According to Channels, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is the first woman and African to lead the WTO, is ranked 92nd, while Founder of EbonyLife, Mo Abudu, is ranked 98th.
Iweala served as the minister of finance in the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. She also served as coordinating minister of the economy under the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan. Iweala had a career spanning over two decades at the World Bank, where she rose to become Managing Director for Operations from 2007 to 2011. She is an advocate for policies aimed at improving lives and economies. In 2024, the former minister was ranked 89th by Forbes, and 87th in 2023.
Forbes ranked Abudu, a media entreprenuer and philanthropist, 98th and She has received recognition for her outstanding contributions to the media industry. Ranked number one in 2025 is the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. She is followed by the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde; the Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi; the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni; the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum; and the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, Julie Sweet. The Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful list recognises individuals across various sectors who have made significant global impacts. They cut across sectors like politics, business, technology and entertainment.
