Ascent Club Unveils the 2025 Top 100 Career Women in Africa!

Following a grand celebratory event, Ascent Club proudly announces the release of its prestigious Top 100 Career Women in Africa list. This year’s honorees, unveiled at a gala event on Sunday, March 30th, 2025, at Alliance Française in Lagos, represent a powerful moment to close out the 2025 Women’s History Month, showcasing the remarkable achievements of women across the continent. The 5th edition of this highly anticipated list recognizes exceptional female professionals shaping Africa’s future across diverse sectors. Ascent Club, one of the leading platforms for women’s advancement, celebrates these trailblazers for their significant impact in the corporate world. This year’s Top 100 Career Women in Africa features a diverse group of leaders, including: Aminata Kane: CEO, Orange Money Group (Morocco)Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa: Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission (Ethiopia)Patricia Obo-Nai: CEO, Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited (Ghana)Olayinka David-West: Dean, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria)Yvonne Manzi Makolo: CEO, RwandAir (Rwanda) These women, along with other remarkable honorees, have been carefully selected by a distinguished panel of judges. The selection process was based on rigorous criteria, ensuring that the list truly reflects the most impactful and inspiring women leaders in Africa. The judges, icons of leadership and excellence, brought their expertise, passion, and influence to the selection process. This distinguished panel included Dr Naike Moshi, Founder, Women in Management Africa (WIMA) and Gender Specialist from Tanzania; Funke Amobi, Regional Head, People & Culture, Stanbic IBTC Holdings in Nigeria; Osayi Alile, CEO, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation (ACT Foundation) in Nigeria; Dr Tewa Onasanya, Founder, Exquisite Magazine & ELOY Awards in Nigeria; Dr Saad Uakkas, Executive Chairman, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) in Morocco; and Hassna Benseddik, Head of Events, IC Publications Group in Morocco. The 2025 Top 100 Career Women in Africa list includes honorees from across the continent, With Representation From Northern Africa: Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco, TunisiaWestern Africa: Cameroon, Côte d & Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra LeoneEastern Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, BurundiSouthern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa As we mark the 5th edition of the Top 100 Career Women in Africa, I am honored to introduce the latest cohort of trailblazing leaders, says Dr. Glory Edozien, Founder of Ascent Club and Global Visibility and Thought Leadership Expert. This platform is more than a list—it is a movement dedicated to ensuring that the incredible women driving corporate and industry success across Africa receive the recognition and visibility they deserve. The full list of the 2025 Top 100 Career Women in Africa, arranged alphabetically, is as follows: Abimbola Agbejule – Head, Corporate Sustainability, Wema Bank – Nigeria Adaku Ufere – Independent Governor and Trustee, University of Aberdeen – Ghana Adebimpe Olambiwonnu – Chief Financial Officer, Sterling Financial Holdings Company – Nigeria Adekunbi Johnson – Head, Travel, Africa Export-Import (Afrexim) Bank – Egypt Adetola Fasuyi – Head, Wealth Management, United Capital Group – Nigeria Aïssata Lam – Director General, Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania – Mauritania Alison Badenhorst – Chief Marketing Officer, Rand Merchant Bank – South Africa Amina Onifade – Chief Operating Officer, Genesis Energy Group – Nigeria Aminata Kane – CEO, Orange Money Group – Morocco Amsale Gualu – First Female Captain, Ethiopian Airlines – Ethiopia Annette Kimitei – Managing Director, Senaca East Africa – Kenya Areje Adegoke – Asset Manager, Deep Water Non-Operated Ventures – Nigeria Astou Dia – Portfolio Enterprise Lead & Deputy Team Leader, Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility – Kenya Aurélie Pujo – Senior Advisor, Amethis – Morocco Bogolo Joy Kenewendo – Cabinet Minister of Minerals and Energy, Government of Botswana – Botswana Carina Wessels – Executive, Governance, Legal, Compliance, and Sustainability, Alexforbes – South Africa Caroline Eboumbou – CEO, All On – Nigeria Charlotte Ndaw Sako – Country Manager, International Finance Corporation – Cameroon Chinny Ononuju-Mcernest – Special Adviser, Strategic Partnerships, Minister of Women Affairs – Nigeria Chinwe Uzoho – Regional Managing Director, West & Central Africa, Network International – Nigeria Chioma Etiaba-Nwankwo – Regional Bank Head, Lagos Central, Fidelity Bank – Nigeria Chioma Nwokedi Momah – Head, Policy and Public Affairs, Guinness Nigeria – Nigeria Chizo Ezem – Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Nigeria Christine Ambetsa – Country Director, Technology, Oracle – Kenya Corine Mbiaketcha Nana – Member, PAPSS Management Board, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) – Kenya Dayo Aderugbo – Divisional Head and General Manager, Bank of Industry – Nigeria Dharshni Padayachee – Head, Diversity, Equity Inclusion & Wellbeing, Rand Merchant Bank – South Africa Dr Agnes Kalibata – President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa – Kenya Dr Amira Shoukry – Team Leader for Enabling Business Environment, DAI – Egypt Dr Julie Idongesit Utang – Manager, Stakeholder Relations/Ag. Head, Business Services, NUIMS, NNPC – Nigeria Dr Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou – Deputy Director, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) – Kenya Dr Millicent Omukaga – Policy Officer, African Development Bank Group – Côte d’Ivoire Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa – Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission – Ethiopia Dr Ntombi Mhangwani – Executive Head, Marketing, Vodacom Business – South Africa Dr Sheila Addo – Deputy Chief Executive (Technical), National Petroleum Authority (NPA) – Ghana Dr Towela Nyirenda-Jere – Head of Secretariat, Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) – Ethiopia Dr Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr – Mayor of Freetown, Freetown City Council – Sierra Leone Ebtissam Farid – Professor of Practice in Architecture and Design, The Knowledge Hub Universities – Egypt Ejiro Gray – Director, Governance & Sustainability, Sahara Group – Nigeria Elizabeth Marabwa – Chief Director, Programme and Projects Management Office, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy – South Africa Enitan Oyenuga – HR Director, Jumia Nigeria – Nigeria Esther Adeola-Balogun – MD/CEO, UCEE Microfinance Bank – Nigeria Fatima Haram Acyl – Vice President, Central African Economic and Monetary Commission – Cameroon Fatim Cissé – Director General, IHS Towers – Côte d’Ivoire Felicia Agubata – Deputy General Manager, Terrestrial Services, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency – Nigeria Fadoua Moutaouakil – Director of Strategy, M&A, Risk Management, TAQA Morocco – Morocco Gakii Mwongera – Director, Mobile Financial Services, Ericsson – Kenya Gladys J Some – Corporate Communications Manager, Kenya Reinsurance Corporation – Kenya Heidi El Nahas – Head of Corporate Communications, Sustainability, and Sustainable Finance Group, Banque du Caire – Egypt Hawa Cissé Wagué – Country Manager, Senior Agricultural Advisor, World Bank – Burundi Ivy Mawuko – Head of Learning, Africa Regions, Standard Bank Group – Ghana Itumeleng Monale – Chief Operating Officer, Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) – South Africa Iyabode Ayobami-Ojo – Director, NNPC Academy – Nigeria Jo-Ann Pöhl – Associate Director, Kearney – South Africa Joyce Mndambi – Project Management Specialist – Private Sector Engagement Youth, USAID – Tanzania Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende – Senior Lecturer, Computer Science, Makerere University – Uganda Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana – Judge, Labour Court, Johannesburg – South Africa Judith Obi – General Manager Commercial, PPC – Nigeria Judy Gounden – Chief Marketing Officer, Quantum PKI – South Africa Kaine Diete-Spiff – Physician General Practice, Shell – Nigeria Kindo Marealle – Country Head, Human Capital, Access Bank Tanzania – Tanzania Koumba Diallo – IP Education to Employment Program Director, Investisseurs Partenaires – Côte d’Ivoire Lade Araba – Vice President, Financial Services, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) – Kenya Lindiwe Zulu – Minister of Small Business Development, Department of Small Business Development – South Africa Linda Quaynor – Partner/West Africa Strategy and Operations Leader, Deloitte Nigeria – Nigeria Manel Harrathi – Senior Director, Strategic Innovation, Fraud Risk Compliance Engineering, FIS – Tunisia Mojisola Iyamabo – Associate Vice President, Gas Business, Heirs Energies – Nigeria Mpono Mosaase – Commissioner, Operations Support, Revenue Services Lesotho – Lesotho Natalie Paida Jabangwe – Board Member, Wesgro – South Africa Nelisa Ngqulana – Associate Partner, Dalberg Media – Kenya Ngozi Akinyele – Group Executive, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Coronation Group – Nigeria Omolola Oloworaran – Director General, Pension Commission – Nigeria Omowunmi Akingbohungbe – Executive Director, WIMBIZ – Nigeria Olayinka David-West – Dean, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University – Nigeria Olanike Nafisat Balogun – First Female Pilot, Nigeria Customs Service – Nigeria Olu Arowolo Verheijen – Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Energy – Nigeria Oghogho Makinde – Partner, Aluko & Oyebode – Nigeria Ota Akhigbe – Director, Partnerships and Programs, eHealth Africa, Nigeria Palesa Natasha Mothapo – Director, Research Support and Management, Nelson Mandela University – South Africa Patricia Obo-Nai – CEO, Ghana Telecommunications Company – Ghana Phemelo Mitchell – Senior Business Developer, Pele Energy Group – South Africa Rania El-Rafie – Vice President, Public Relations and Strategic Communications, APO Group – Egypt Rentia Van Tonder – Head, Power, Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Bank – South Africa Ria Pinto – Country General Manager and Technology Leader, IBM South Africa – South Africa Sara Mortada – General Manager, Engineering Department, Suez Methanol Derivatives – Egypt Sayuri Moodliar – ESG Director, Open Access Data Centres, WIOCC – South Africa Sherifat Adegbenro – Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, EKO Electricity Distribution PLC – Nigeria Simi Nwogugu – CEO, Junior Achievement Africa – Nigeria Soraya Munyana Hakuziyaremye – First Female Governor, National Bank of Rwanda – Rwanda Stella Din-Jacob – Director of News & Editor-in-Chief, TVC Communications – Nigeria Susan Maingi – Country Lead Regulatory Policy and Stakeholder Engagement, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa – Kenya Sy Gourrah – Senior General Manager, Smart Technologies, ACTOM (Pty) – South Africa Tolulope Babajide – Gender Network Manager, FSD Africa – Kenya Vivian Thabet – Deputy Country Director, CARE – Egypt Wambui Mbesa – East Africa CEO, Relational FS – Kenya Wola Joseph Condotti – Group MD/CEO, West Power and Gas – Nigeria Wunmi Ehis-Uzenabor – Chief Financial Officer, Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria – Nigeria Yinka Edu – Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie – Nigeria Yvonne Manzi Makolo – CEO, RwandAir – Rwanda 100. Zama Khanyile – Commissioner, Presidential Climate Commission – South Africa BellaNaija is a Media Partner for The Ascent Top 100 Career Women in Africa