- In a new compilation, Forbes Africa has recognised 50 women who are a strong force on the continent
- Out of those who were picked are 10 Nigerian women who have made a mark in areas like finance, oil, publishing, and public life
- While some names on the list are socially well known, they were newer faces like Uchenna "Uche" Pedro and Olajumoke Adenowo
Forbes Africa has made a list of 50 leading women
on the continent who have made great marks in
almost all spheres of human life. Among them are 10 Nigerians who contributed
greatly to art, politics, business, and public life.
Popular author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,
Folorunsho Alakija, Ibukun Awosika, Obiageli Oby
Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Uchenna ‘Uche’
Pedro are some of the Nigerians who made the cut.

Below is the list of Nigerians Forbes picked:

1. Folorunsho Alakija (Oil sector)
2. Ibukun Awosika (Manufacturing)
3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Publishing)
4. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili (Social development)
5. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Healthcare)
6. Uchenna “Uche” Pedro (Media)
7. Olajumoke Adenowo (Advertising)
8. Arunma Oteh (Finance)
9. Amina J. Mohammed (Social Development)
10. Tara Fela-Durotoye (Beauty)
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported about Eleanor Nwadinobi who is one of the people constantly
fighting for Nigerian women’s rights to health and protection in Nigeria . She is also the president of the Medical Women’s
International Association for female doctors and
dentists, an organization that has over 90 countries
as members. With the help of her organization, Eleanor always
works towards the reduction of maternal mortality,
breast and cervical cancer, and other issues
affecting women. She has also worked with so many groups like
pregnant women, victims of sexual violence in
order to find lasting solutions to their problems.
In her interview with the media, she said that one
of her organisation's greatest achievements was in
the passage of the 2015 Violence Against Persons
Prohibition (VAPP) Act. Before the act was passed, the organisation had to
engage in a 14-year-activism that also involved
other civil agencies and societies. In other news, a man identified as AD Patrickson has narrated his inspiring success story of how he became an owner of oil and gas
company years after he worked as a night
watchman on oilfield vessels. Nothing beats
passion and hard work.
FULL LIST:

NAME
COUNTRY
TITLE
SECTOR

GRACA MACHEL
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER, GRACA MACHEL TRUST
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CLARE AKAMANZI
RWANDA
CEO, RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT/GOVERNANCE FOLORUNSO ALAKIJA
NIGERIA
EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR, FAMFA OIL
OIL SECTOR JENNIFER RIRIA
KENYA
GROUP CEO, ECHO NETWORK AFRICA (ENA);
FOUNDING MEMBER, KENYA WOMEN FINANCE TRUST
FINANCE LOUISE MUSHIKIWABO
RWANDA
SECRETARY GENERAL, ORGANISATION
INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE (OIF) AYA CHEBBI
TUNISIA
BLOGGER AND AFRICA UNION YOUTH ENVOY
MEDIA ELSIE KANZA
TANZANIA
HEAD OF AFRICA AND MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
FINANCE IBUKUN AWOSIKA
NIGERIA
FOUNDER AND CEO, THE CHAIR CENTRE GROUP
MANUFACTURING DR JUDY DLAMINI
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER, MBEKANI GROUP
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CHARLIZE THERON
SOUTH AFRICA
HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS
ENTERTAINMENT CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
NIGERIA
AUTHOR, PUBLIC SPEAKER
PUBLISHING PHUTI MAHANYELE-DABENGWA
SOUTH AFRICA
CEO, NASPERS SOUTH AFRICA
TECHNOLOGY OBIAGELI ‘OBY’ EZEKWESILI
NIGERIA
SENIOR ECONOMIC ADVISOR, AFRICA ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT POLICY INITIATIVE (AEDPI)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT GLENDA GRAY
SOUTH AFRICA
PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL
RESEARCH COUNCIL (SAMRC)
HEALTHCARE THULI MADONSELA
SOUTH AFRICA
LAW TRUST CHAIR, SOCIAL JUSTICE RESEARCH AT
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
LAW WENDY LUHABE
SOUTH AFRICA
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR & CO-FOUNDER, WIPHOLD
FINANCE ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO
BENIN
FOUR-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER
ENTERTAINMENT MANAL ROSTOM
EGYPT
FOUNDER, SURVIVING HIJAB AND FACE OF NIKE PRO
HIJAB
HEALTH AND FITNESS LYDIA NSEKERA
BURUNDI
PRESIDENT, NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (NOC) OF
BURUNDI AND MEMBER OF FIFA COUNCIL
SPORT/GOVERNANCE WINNIE BYANYIMA
UGANDA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNAIDS
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA
NIGERIA
CHAIR, BOARD OF THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR
VACCINES AND IMMUNISATION (GAVI)
HEALTHCARE PHUMZILE MLAMBO-NGCUKA
SOUTH AFRICA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNITED NATIONS (UN) WOMEN
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT WARIS DIRIE
SOMALIA
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, DESERT FLOWER
FOUNDATION
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF
LIBERIA
FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA, NOBEL PEACE
LAUREATE
GOVERNANCE YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA
SOUTH AFRICA
AWARD-WINNING MUSICIAN
ENTERTAINMENT SAHLE-WORK ZEWDE
ETHIOPIA
PRESIDENT OF ETHIOPIA
GOVERNANCE MAMOKGETHI (KGETHI) PHAKENG
SOUTH AFRICA
VICE-CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN (UCT)
EDUCATION REBECCA ENONCHONG
CAMEROON
FOUNDER & CEO, APPSTECH
TECHNOLOGY BONANG MATHEBA
SOUTH AFRICA
MEDIA PERSONALITY, ENTREPRENEUR
ENTERTAINMENT FATMA SAMOURA
SENEGAL
SECRETARY-GENERAL, FIFA
SPORT IRENE CHARNLEY
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER, SMILE COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY UCHENNA ‘UCHE’ PEDRO
NIGERIA
FOUNDER AND CEO, BELLANAIJA
MEDIA ILWAD ELMAN
SOMALIA
FOUNDER, ELMAN PEACE CENTRE
ACTIVISM WENDY APPELBAUM
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER AND CHAIRPERSON, DE MORGENZON WINE
ESTATE
ENTREPRENEUR OLAJUMOKE ADENOWO
NIGERIA
FOUNDER, AD CONSULTING
ADVERTISING BETHLEHEM TILAHUN ALEMU
ETHIOPIA
FOUNDER AND CEO, SOLEREBELS FOOTWEAR, GARDEN
OF COFFEE, TEFFTASTIC
ENTREPRENEUR NKOSAZANA DLAMINI-ZUMA
SOUTH AFRICA
MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND
TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, SOUTH AFRICA
GOVERNANCE WENDY ACKERMAN
SOUTH AFRICA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PICK ‘N PAY
RETAIL CASTER SEMENYA
SOUTH AFRICA
OLYMPIC CHAMPION
SPORT RAWYA MANSOUR
EGYPT
FOUNDER AND CEO, RAMSCO
AGRICULTURE ARUNMA OTEH
NIGERIA
ACADEMIC SCHOLAR, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD FORMER
TREASURER AND VICE PRESIDENT, WORLD BANK
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE AFRICA ADVISORY GROUP
MEMBER FINANCE FATOU BENSOUDA
GAMBIA
PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
(ICC)
LAW HAJER SHARIEF
LIBYA
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE
ACTIVISM AMINA J. MOHAMMED
NIGERIA
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PRECIOUS MOTSEPE
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER, AFRICAN FASHION INTERNATIONAL
FASHION LUPITA NYONG’O
KENYA
OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR
ENTERTAINMENT VERA SONGWE
CAMEROON
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC
COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MAGDA WIERZYCKA
SOUTH AFRICA
FOUNDER, SYGNIA
FINANCE TARA FELA-DUROTOYE
NIGERIA
FOUNDER, HOUSE OF TARA INTERNATIONAL
BEAUTY THERESA KACHINDAMOTO
MALAWI
CHIEF OF DEDZA DISTRICT
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala healthcare??

I thought it would be Economy or Finance. Well what do I know.

Strength of a woman

padi94:
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala healthcare??
I thought it would be Economy or Finance. Well what do I know.

The thing "week" me

Nonsense power

SAY NO TO TRIBALISM

ok

These are the women worth being role models not the ones sexually objectifying themselves.i don't want to mention nsmes

South africa represented by 18 powerful women

11) Patience Jonathan

12) Tonto Dikeh

13) Regina Daniels

was looking out for Ibukun awosika. that woman is a motivational speaker. aspire to inspire.

ashewoboy:
was looking out for Ibukun awosika. that woman is a motivational speaker. aspire to inspire.

And she gives generously too.
A very good woman.

Can't find Tonto Dike and Bobrisky on the list o.. This is fake list jor.

kokoA:
Can't find Tonto Dike and Bobrisky on the list o.. This is fake list jor.

Lol is borisky your aunty