𝐎𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐨-𝐈𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐬’ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has celebrated her eighth appearance on the Forbes 100 World’s Most Powerful Women list for 2025, describing the recognition as a motivation to continue promoting fair and inclusive global trade.

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization shared her gratitude in a message posted on her verified X account, thanking Forbes for acknowledging her work and reaffirming her commitment to strengthening a rules-based multilateral trading system. She emphasized that global trade must offer equal opportunities to smaller and less influential nations.

Okonjo-Iweala, who became the first woman and first African to lead the WTO in March 2021, noted that the recognition reflects the collective efforts of stakeholders working to improve global commerce. She also celebrated the inclusion of several African women on the list, noting that their achievements highlight the continent’s growing impact in leadership, business and governance.

Forbes, in its profile, described her as an accomplished economist and international development specialist with over three decades of experience across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Before joining the WTO, she served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and once as Foreign Affairs Minister, alongside holding senior roles at the World Bank.

Okonjo-Iweala, a graduate of Harvard University with a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, expressed hope that more young women across Africa will be inspired to pursue leadership roles and contribute to global progress.