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Two Nigerian trailblazers, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media entrepreneur Mo Abudu, have earned spots on Forbes’ 2025 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, which recognises leaders making significant impact across politics, business, technology, and culture.
The list, published online on Wednesday, underscores the growing global influence of both women. They appear alongside international figures such as 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).
Okonjo-Iweala, who ranks No. 92, has served as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation since March 2021, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the position. Forbes describes her as “an economist and international development professional” with “more than 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.”
Her illustrious career includes 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 “immunised more than 760 million children globally.” A Harvard and MIT graduate, the 71-year-old is widely recognised for advocating trade as a tool to reduce poverty and support sustainable development.
Mo Abudu, ranked No. 98, has shaped Africa’s media landscape through her company, EbonyLife Media. She launched EbonyLife TV in 2006, which now airs in more than 49 countries, including the UK and the Caribbean. Forbes notes that she brokered major partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix, becoming the first African media company to secure a multi-title deal with the streaming giant. In November 2025, EbonyLife unveiled EbonyLife ON Plus, a digital platform available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Forbes describes her as “one of the most influential women in global media.”
The 2025 ranking also spotlights women advancing technology and AI, such as AMD CEO Lisa Su (No. 10), Alphabet executive Ruth Porat (No. 12), Nvidia’s Colette Kress (No. 37), Meta CFO Susan Li (No. 41), and Microsoft finance chief Amy Hood (No. 16).
Other notable honourees include Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei (No. 73), who became a self-made billionaire after the company’s valuation hit $183 billion, and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar (No. 50). In entertainment, Kim Kardashian debuted at No. 71 following a $225 million raise for Skims and her NikeSKIMS collaboration, while Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters (No. 100) were recognised for building a global fan base across ages and regions.
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