Two prominent Nigerians — Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media mogul Mo Abudu — have been featured in Forbes’ 2025 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, a ranking that celebrates global figures shaping business, governance, culture, and technology.
Released on Wednesday through the magazine’s official website, the annual list underscores the expanding global impact of both women, particularly in international trade and media leadership.
They are listed alongside several influential global leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who tops the ranking; European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde at No. 2; Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, placed at No. 3; Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum at No. 5; and Namibia’s Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at No. 79.
Okonjo-Iweala appears at No. 92. She currently serves as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, making history in 2021 as both the first woman and the first African to head the global trade body. 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.”
Before joining the WTO, she served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and briefly as Foreign Minister. She has also chaired the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has “immunised more than 760 million children globally.” The 71-year-old Harvard and MIT alumna is widely respected for championing trade as a tool for reducing poverty and driving sustainable development.
Media executive Mo Abudu, ranked No. 98, is celebrated for her influence in entertainment, content creation, and cultural storytelling. As founder of EbonyLife Media, she has built one of Africa’s most recognisable media brands. She launched EbonyLife TV in 2006, and the network now broadcasts in more than 49 countries across Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean.
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Forbes notes that Abudu has been instrumental in securing landmark partnerships for EbonyLife, including collaborations with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix — the latter making EbonyLife the first African media company to sign a multi-title agreement with the streaming giant. In 2025, EbonyLife expanded its digital footprint with the launch of EbonyLife ON Plus on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Forbes describes her as “one of the most influential women in global media.”
This year’s rankings also highlight the growing influence of women in artificial intelligence and technology, featuring AMD CEO Lisa Su (No. 10), Alphabet executive Ruth Porat (No. 12), Nvidia’s Colette Kress (No. 37), Meta’s Susan Li (No. 41), and Microsoft’s Amy Hood (No. 16).
Also recognised is Daniela Amodei (No. 73), co-founder and president of Anthropic, who joined the billionaire ranks after the AI company’s valuation climbed to $183 billion. OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer, Sarah Friar, is listed at No. 50.
In entertainment, reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian debuts at No. 71 following a major fundraising round that valued her shapewear brand Skims at $5 billion and the launch of NikeSKIMS in partnership with Nike.
Forbes concludes its list with the women behind Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters (No. 100), highlighting their global appeal across diverse audiences.