Two Nigerian women — Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Mo Abudu, media entrepreneur and founder of EbonyLife TV — have been listed among Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women in the World for 2025.
The ranking, published on Wednesday, reflects Forbes’ expanded effort to highlight women reshaping global influence across industries.
The 2025 edition builds on established franchises such as America’s Most Powerful Women in Business and the Forbes 30 Under 30, while introducing a dedicated focus on sports for the first time.
Forbes said the list celebrates women driving progress in business, media, culture, and political leadership.
Okonjo-Iweala’s Global Impact
Ranked 92nd, Okonjo-Iweala was described as an economist and development expert with more than three decades of global experience. She became the first woman and first African to lead the WTO in March 2021.
She has consistently argued for “the power of trade to lift developing countries out of poverty and drive sustainable development.”
Before joining the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s finance minister, briefly acted as foreign minister, and chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has helped vaccinate more than 760 million children worldwide.
Her inclusion underscores her role in shaping global trade policy and advocating for fairer systems that benefit developing nations.
Reacting to the Forbes announcement, the WTO Chief, put out a statement saying it was “nice to make the list for the eighth time“, remarking that she recognizes that, “With power comes responsibility!“.
“We are doing our best to fight for and reform the rules-based multilateral trading system which the world needs to avoid a chaotic approach to world trade that would hurt the smallest and the least powerful countries“, she wrote.
Mo Abudu’s Media Influence
Abudu, ranked 98th, was recognised as one of the most influential figures in global media. She founded EbonyLife TV in 2006, which now broadcasts across more than 49 countries.
Her company has sealed major partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix — the latter marking the first multi-title film and TV agreement between an African media company and the streaming giant.
In November 2025, EbonyLife launched its new digital global platform, EbonyLife ON Plus, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, further expanding its reach.
Abudu’s recognition highlights the growing influence of African media voices in shaping global narratives.
Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen, said the ranking shows that power today “isn’t confined to any one sector or title.” She noted that technology pioneers like Lisa Su and Daniela Amodei are “building the future,” while political leaders from Japan to Mexico are redefining governance.
The 2025 list also features high-profile newcomers such as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, SKIMS co-founder Kim Kardashian, Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, ByteDance CFO Julie Gao, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, and FirstRand Group CEO Mary Vilakazi.
Forbes said the ranking continues its mission to spotlight women transforming economies, shaping culture, and driving innovation worldwide.
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