By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Two distinguished Nigerian women, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media mogul Mo Abudu have been named among Forbes’ 2025 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Okonjo-Iweala ranked 92nd, while Abudu placed 98th.
The annual list celebrates women shaping global business, politics, media, technology, and leadership.
This year’s edition is led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (No. 1) and European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde (No. 2).
Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and first African to head the WTO, is recognised for her decades-long work promoting trade as a tool for development.
A former Nigerian finance minister, she has also chaired major global bodies such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Abudu, founder of EbonyLife Media, earned her spot for her influential role in African storytelling and global media partnerships.
EbonyLife TV now broadcasts in over 49 countries, and Abudu has secured several high-profile collaborations, including deals with Netflix.
In November, she launched a new streaming platform, EbonyLife ON Plus.
The 2025 list also highlights the growing clout of women in technology, featuring industry leaders like AMD’s Lisa Su, Alphabet’s Ruth Porat and Nvidia’s Colette Kress, alongside new entrants such as Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei.
Forbes notes that the featured women continue to shape global industries, expand representation and reinforce the impact of female leadership across sectors.
