Okonjo-Iweala, Mo Abudu Claim Spots on Forbes’ Exclusive List of World’s Most Powerful Women

Two Nigerians—Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu—have earned spots on Forbes’ 2025 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, reinforcing their influence on global trade, leadership, and media.

Forbes released the list on Wednesday, highlighting women whose work shapes business, politics, culture, and major global decisions. Okonjo-Iweala and Abudu appear alongside global heavyweights such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who takes the top position; European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde; Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi; Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum; and Namibia’s Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Okonjo-Iweala, ranked 92nd, continues to make history as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation—the first woman and first African to lead the institution since she took the job in March 2021. Forbes describes her as an economist and development expert with more than three decades of experience across multiple continents. Her decorated career includes two terms as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, a brief role as Foreign Minister, and chairing the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—an organisation that has vaccinated more than 760 million children worldwide. She studied at Harvard University and earned her PhD from MIT. At 71, she remains a global advocate for using trade to lift developing countries out of poverty.

Mo Abudu, ranked 98th, continues her ascent as one of the most influential voices in global media. As the founder of EbonyLife Media, she has built a multi-country entertainment brand that began with EbonyLife TV in 2006 and now reaches more than 49 countries, including audiences in the UK and the Caribbean. Forbes credits her leadership for securing groundbreaking partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix—making EbonyLife the first African media company to sign a multi-title film and television deal with the streaming giant. In November 2025, she expanded the brand with the launch of EbonyLife ON Plus on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Abudu, who was born in London and later lived with her grandmother in Nigeria, now stands as one of the most impactful women in the global entertainment industry.

Forbes’ 2025 ranking also shows the rising power of women in technology and artificial intelligence. Leaders such as Lisa Su of AMD, Ruth Porat of Alphabet, Colette Kress of Nvidia, Susan Li of Meta, and Microsoft’s longtime finance chief Amy Hood all feature prominently. Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic, appears on the list after becoming a self-made billionaire when the AI company hit a valuation of $183 billion. Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, also earns a spot.

In entertainment, Kim Kardashian lands at No. 71 after raising $225 million for Skims at a $5 billion valuation and launching NikeSKIMS in partnership with Nike. Forbes also highlights the women behind Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters at No. 100, celebrating their global influence and massive fan base.