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8 Nigerian Women Breaking Glass Ceilings Internationally

By Jimo Asiat Ayobami

08 March 2023   |   4:00 pm

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Over the years, Nigerian women have been rewriting women's narrative across the globe: setting new standards and forging new paths, for the sole goal of gender equality. For this year's International Women's Day, we celebrate these powerful Nigerian women breaking glass ceilings internationally. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Dr Ngozi is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.…

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala poses at her home in Potomac, Maryland, near Washington DC, as she was confirmed as the first woman and first African leader of the beleaguered World Trade Organization,on February 15, 2021. – Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed February 15, 2021 as the first female and first African head of the World Trade Organization, at a special general meeting. “WTO members have just agreed to appoint Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general,” the global trade body said in a statement, adding that the former Nigerian finance minister and World Bank veteran will take up her post on March 1. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Over the years, Nigerian women have been rewriting women’s narrative across the globe: setting new standards and forging new paths, for the sole goal of gender equality.

For this year’s International Women’s Day, we celebrate these powerful Nigerian women breaking glass ceilings internationally.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Dr Ngozi is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
She currently serves on boards of Danone, Standard Chartered Bank, One Campaign, amongst others.

She is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. She served as Managing Director with World Bank.

As the first woman and African to serve as Director-General, she has set new standards for women in Africa.

Obiageli Ezekwesili

Obiageli Ezekwesili is an economic policy expert. She is an humanitarian and activist. She served as Vice President of the World Bank (Africa region).

She is the founder of #FixPoliticsInitiative and a co-founder of #BringBackOurGirls movement. She also co-founded Transparency International.

She is a former Minister of Education and former Minister of Solid Minerals. She is a member of the board of directors of Women Political Leaders.

Folorunso Alakija

Folorunso Alakija is a Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist. She is the founder and Group Managing Director of The Rose of Sharon group. She is also the founder of Famfa Oil, one of the largest indigenous owned crude oil export companies in Nigeria.

She was the Managing Director of FCMB (formerly known as Former National Bank of Chicago). She is the national president and lifelong trustee of Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN).

Ranked as the richest woman in Nigeria by Forbes, Mrs Alakija has made huge contributions to the business world globally.

Awosika

Ibukun Awosika

Mrs Ibukun Awosika is an author, businesswoman and philanthropist.
She chairs the board of First Bank and serves on the boards of several other organizations.

She co-founded and once chaired the Women In Business Management and Public Service (WIMBIZ).

Mrs Ibukun Awosika is an ordained Pastor and founder of Christian Missionary Fund.
She has won multiple awards as an Entrepreneur. She is the first Nigerian recipient of International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge Award (IWEC).

She is continually using her assets to help others.

Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda Adichie (Odeluwa Abba) is an award winning writer and feminist.
Her novel Half of A Yellow Sun won the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
She was awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2008.

She co-curated the PEN World Voices Festival in 2015. In 2021, BBC recognised her as one of the BBC’s 100 women of 2022.

The renowned author has been awarded the highest honor of Harvard University, the W.E.B Du Bois medal.
In January 2023, she received a chieftaincy title in her hometown: Odeluwa Abba (meaning: the one who writes for the world), making her the first female chief.

Amina Jane Mohammed

Amina Jane Mohammed is the current Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. She is a former Minister of Environment in Nigeria.

She founded the Afri-Projects Consortium. She was the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Millennium Development Goals. She served as the Chairman of
UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on Education (GME). She has also served on several international advisory board.

Mo Abudu

Mosunmola Abudu is a Media Mogul and Philanthropist. She is the CEO of EbonyLife TV and Africa’s Most Successful Woman, according to Forbes.

She headed the Human Resources and Training department at ExxonMobil.
She also created and produced Moments with Mo , a popular Nigerian TV show.

She has received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Babcock University and an honorary doctorate degree of Doctor of Arts from the University of Westminster.

She has made immense contributions to the Media Industry, with EbonyLife’s partnership with Netflix being one of many.

Aisha Yesufu is an activist and businesswoman.

She is the founder of the #BringBackOur Girls and a prominent frontier of the #ENDSARS movement.

In 2020, she was recognised by the BBC’s 100 Women and by New African magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Africans.