The Digest:
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and media entrepreneur Mo Abudu have been included among the world’s 100 most powerful women for 2025. The list highlights women driving transformation across global business, media, culture, and political leadership.
Key Points:
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ranked 92nd, is recognized as an economist and international development expert with over three decades of global experience.
- She made history in March 2021 as the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization.
- Before the WTO, she served twice as Nigeria’s finance minister and chaired the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
- Mo Abudu, ranked 98th, is celebrated as a leading figure in global media and the founder of EbonyLife TV.
- Her network broadcasts in over 49 countries and has landmark partnerships with Sony Pictures, AMC Networks, and Netflix.
- In November 2025, EbonyLife launched a new digital platform, EbonyLife ON Plus, available on major app stores.
- The Forbes list also features newcomers, including Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Kim Kardashian, and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar.
Sources: Forbes
