Okonjo-Iweala, Mo Abudu among Forbes’ 100 most powerful women of 2025

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Mo Abudu, media entrepreneur, have been named among Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world in 2025.

In the list published on Wednesday, Forbes said this year’s ranking reflects its expanding efforts to spotlight women transforming industries and shaping global influence.

The publication noted that the 2025 edition builds on related franchises such as America’s Most Powerful Women in Business, the Most Powerful Women in Sports, and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list — and, for the first time, includes a dedicated focus on sports.

According to the magazine, the list celebrates women driving change across business, media, culture and political leadership.

Okonjo-Iweala, who ranked 92nd on the list, was described by Forbes as an economist and international development expert with more than three decades of experience across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.

In March 2021, she became the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO.

She has repeatedly said she believes in 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 — between 2003 and 2006 and later from 2011 to 2015 — and briefly acted as foreign minister in 2006.

She also chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has helped immunise over 760 million children around the world.

Forbes said Abudu is one of the most influential figures in global media.

In 2006, she founded EbonyLife TV, which now broadcasts in more than 49 countries across Africa, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean.

Over the years, EbonyLife has secured major content partnerships with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks and Netflix — with the Netflix deal representing the first time an African media company signed a multi-title film and TV agreement with the streaming platform.

In November 2025, EbonyLife launched a new digital global platform, EbonyLife ON Plus, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Abudu, who was born in London and spent part of her childhood living with her grandmother in Nigeria, is 98th on the list.

Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen, said the 2025 ranking underscores how power today “isn’t confined to any one sector or title”.

McGrath added that technology pioneers like Lisa Su and Daniela Amodei are “building the future”, while political leaders from Japan to Mexico are reshaping global governance.

She also noted that cultural innovators — including the team behind KPop Demon Hunters — are shaping global audiences and redefining influence.

This year’s list also features a number of high-profile newcomers including Sanae Takaichi, prime minister of Japan; Kim Kardashian, co-founder of SKIMS; the women behind KPop Demon Hunters; President of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah; and Lithuania prime minister Inga Ruginienė.

Others are Julie Gao, CFO of ByteDance; Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI; Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic; Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News; and Mary Vilakazi, CEO of FirstRand Group.

Forbes said the 2025 list continues its mission of celebrating women who are transforming economies, shaping culture and driving innovation across multiple sectors worldwide.