Forbes Names Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu Among 2025’s Most Influential Women Globally

Two Nigerian women, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu, have earned spots on Forbes’ 2025 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women, which recognises leaders making a major impact in business, politics, culture, and global affairs.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization and the first woman and African to hold the role, is celebrated for her decades-long career in international development. She previously served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and briefly as Foreign Minister, and also led Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has helped immunise over 760 million children worldwide. With degrees from Harvard and MIT, she is known for advocating trade as a means to drive economic growth and sustainable development.

Media mogul Mo Abudu, ranked 98th, is the founder of EbonyLife Media, a network broadcasting in more than 49 countries. She has forged key partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix, and recently launched EbonyLife ON Plus, a new digital streaming platform. Forbes recognises her as one of the most influential figures in global media.

This year’s list also highlights women leading in technology and artificial intelligence, including executives from AMD, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Microsoft. In entertainment, figures like Kim Kardashian and the creators of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters are among the new entrants.

Okonjo-Iweala and Abudu’s recognition underscores the growing global influence of Nigerian women in shaping trade, media, and international leadership.