Most powerful women in di world for 2025 - Forbes

Two famous Nigerian women, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu again make dI list of Forbes' 100 World's Most Powerful Women for 2025.

Di World Trade Organization (WTO) Director and di CEO EbonyLife Mo Abudu feature alongside world figures like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wey be number one on di list, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Japan first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi and Namibia President Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Also, for di first time, Kim Kardashian di Cofounder of Skims and reality TV star feature for di list. Kim wey get 350 million social media followers, partner wit Nike on NikeSkim and her brand raise money wey reach $5 billion valuation for 2025.

Ogbonge US singer, Taylor Swift also make di list. She become a billionaire for October 2023, and Swift na di first musician to enta di billionaire ranking based on her songs and performances only.

Di magazine wey publish di list on dia website on Wednesday, 10 December recognise women wey hold ogbonge influence in business, politics, culture, and global leadership.

For dia 22nd annual ranking of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, Forbes highlight di most dynamic female leaders, innovators, and changemakers wey shape di global landscape in 2025.

Di listees collectively dey oversee more dan $4.9 trillion in revenue, employ ova 9.3 million pipo, and influence countries wey represent more dan half of global GDP.

Forbes say dia 2025 Forbes Power Women list na women wey tanda as examples of resilience in turbulent times.

"As global power structures rapidly shift, dis year listees dey steer platforms, policies and capital wey dey redefine di world most important industries and economies," Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President tok.

How Forbes take choose di women

According to Forbes, na four main metrics wey include money, media, impact and spheres of influence determine dis year ranking.

Dem also consider six sectors wey border on business, technology, finance, media & entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy.

Di Forbes World 100 Most Powerful Women list feature women wey dey do ogbonge work wit technology, AI, Head of states, CEOs and founders, financial executives and cultural innovators.

For political leaders, Forbes consider di gross domestic products and populations; for corporate chiefs, revenues, valuations and di number of employees dey important.

Dis year list feature women from 25 countries, wey include new additions from Namibia and Lithuania, and di largest share come from North America wit 50 leaders. 17 newcomers wey command a collective $37 trillion in economic power and influence more dan one billion people.

Power today no dey limited to any one sector or title, and dis year list show am," Maggie McGrath, editor of Forbes Women tok.

"Technology pioneers like Lisa Su and Daniela Amodei dey build di future; political leaders from Japan to Mexico dey reshape global order; and cultural innovators like di women behind 'KPop Demon Hunters' don ginger di global audience," Mc Grath add.

2025 Forbes list of most powerful women in di world

Five African women make di Forbes 100 most powerful women for di world list. Dem include;

Vilakazi become di CEO of South Africa FirstRand Group for April 2024. She bin take control of di company wey be one of di largest banks for Africa. As of June 2025, di bank get 2.5 trillion rand (about $150 billion) in total assets.

On March 21, 2025, di same day Namibia mark 35 years of independence, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah dey sworn in as di kontri first female president.

Nandi-Ndaitwah don spend more dan 30 years in public service across key ministries and senior posts, wey give her ogbonge experience of institutional knowledge.

Wen she assume office, she appoint cabinet wey carry 57% female, di highest for Namibia history.

Mpumi Madisa na di leader for Bidvest, one South African services and distribution company wit nearly 130,000 employees and a nearly $5 billion market cap.

Wen she enta di role of di CEO for 2020, Madisa become di only Black female chief executive of a top-40 company for di Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Madam Okonjo-Iweala na economist and international development professional, she get more dan 30 years of experience as she don work for Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.

For March 2021, she become di first woman and di first African to serve as Director-General of di World Trade Organization.

Earlier for her career, Okonjo-Iweala bin serve two terms as Nigeria Finance Minister, from 2003-2006 and 2011-2015; she also briefly act as Foreign Minister for 2006.

She bin also serve as Chair for di Board of Gavi, di Vaccine Alliance wey don immunise 760 million children globally.

Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu na one of di most powerful women in global media.

For 2006, Abudu start Ebonylife TV, one network wey now dey air for more dan 49 countries across Africa, plus for UK and di Caribbean.

Over di years, EbonylifeTV bin strike major partnership deals wit Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks and Netflix; di deal wit Netflix na di first time wey any African media company go sign multi-title film and TV agreement wit di streaming giant.

Di first top ten women for di list include: