Okonjo-Iweala, Mo Abudu make Forbes’ 100 most powerful women list

Two prominent Nigerian women, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media mogul Mo Abudu, have been listed among Forbes’ 100 World’s Most Powerful Women for 2025.

The ranking, released on Wednesday, recognises influential figures shaping global business, politics, culture, and leadership.

Okonjo-Iweala and Abudu were featured alongside global heavyweights such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (No. 1), European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde (No. 2), Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (No. 3), Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum (No. 5), and Namibia’s Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (No. 79).

Okonjo-Iweala, placed at No. 92, is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the first woman and first African to lead the institution since her appointment in 2021.

Forbes applauded her as an economist and development expert with over three decades of experience across multiple continents.

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She previously served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, briefly as Foreign Affairs Minister, and chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has immunised more than 760 million children worldwide.

A Harvard and MIT alumna, the 71-year-old is celebrated for championing trade as a tool to reduce poverty and drive sustainable development in developing nations.

Media executive Mo Abudu, ranked No. 98, is the founder of EbonyLife Media.

Since launching EbonyLife TV in 2006, she has expanded its reach to more than 49 countries, including the UK and Caribbean.

Forbes credited Abudu with securing major partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix — making EbonyLife the first African media company to sign a multi-title film and TV deal with the streaming giant.

The Star