Did you know that since Nigeria's independence in 1960, there have only been two female governors? In addition, several private and public sectors in Nigeria are male-dominated, and only a few women have managed to break the glass ceiling, setting an example for future women leaders.

Here are some of the most iconic female role models in Nigeria that you should know!

1. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a former Minister of Finance and former Minister of Foreign Affairs. She holds the title of the first woman to serve two terms as Minister of Finance. She worked for 25 years as a development economist at the World Bank before becoming the Managing Director from 2007 - to 2011. Her legacy as Minister of Finance includes developing the country's financial systems with many forward-thinking policies. Okonjo Iweala also founded the first indigenous opinion - Noi Polls. In March 2021, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala became the first female and African director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

2. Amina J. Mohammed

She is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Also, She works as Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. From 2015-to 2017, she served as Minister of Environment under President Mohammadu Buhari's administration. During her work in the public sector, she served as a special adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development. Ms. Amina Mohammed has also served as Adjunct Professor for the Master's in Development Practice Program at Columbia University. She is also the Founder and CEO of Development Policy solutions.

3. Diezani Alison Madueke

Madam Diezani Alison Madueke is Nigeria's First Female Minister of Petroleum. Before her career in the public sector, she was appointed as the First female executive Director of Shell in 2006. Mrs Alison Madueke was also the first woman to lead a National Delegation to the OPEC conference. In 2014, she was appointed as the first and only female President of OPEC. During her tenure as Petroleum Minister, Alison Madueke introduced several initiatives to ensure an oil sector that works for all. She is also the first to receive an honorary degree from the National Defense Academy.

4. Ibukun Awosika

Ibukun Awosika is a Nigerian businesswoman, author and public motivational speaker. She is a former chairman of First Bank, a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and former Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Women in Management, Business and Public Service. Ibukun Awosika also founded the Afterschool Graduate Development Center to address the problem of the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. In 2020, Ibukun Awosika won the Africa Forbes Woman Awards for 'Forbes Woman Africa Chairperson Award'.

5. Oby Ezekwesili

Oby Ezekwesili is one of Nigeria's foremost economic policy experts. She is the former vice president of the World Bank's Africa Region. And she has also served full terms as Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and Federal Minister of Education in Nigeria. She is one of the main advocates of the #Bringbackourgirls campaign and later contested for presidency in the 2019 elections.

Replace #3 with Aisha Yesufu!

That woman na asset for activism.

Diezani Alison Madueke is a thief, that is what she is, nothing else.

SaintBishop:
Diezani Alison Madueke is a thief, that is what she is, nothing else.

Diezani shouldn’t be on that list with all the billions of dollars she stole.

Greystone:


Diezani shouldn’t be on that list with all the billions of dollars she stole.

All Nigeria politicians are criminals from Tinubu to Atiku, to Peter Obi and co. I'm only mentioning Diezani for personal reasons .

No Okonjo Iweala or Daisy Danjuma. Rubbished write up.