Women are taking up prominent positions in Nigeria’s corporate sector, with 12 women currently serving as chairpersons of companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), according to an analysis by Nairametrics.
The companies span banking, insurance, consumer goods, manufacturing, investment and hospitality, placing the women at the top of boards responsible for corporate governance and strategic oversight.
Together, the 12 companies had a combined market capitalisation of N10.89 trillion as of August 31, 2026, representing about 6.9% of the NGX’s total equity market capitalisation.
The women identified in the analysis are:
- Dr. Awele Elumelu, Chairperson of Transcorp Hotels Plc
- Dr. Sola David-Borha, Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc
- Mrs. Juliet Anammah, Chairman of Nigerian Breweries Plc
- Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu, Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc
- Dr. Oluwayemisi Olorunshola, Chairman of Wema Bank Plc
- Dr. Omobola Johnson, Chairman of Custodian Investment Plc
- Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, Chairman of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc
- Mrs. Okwa Ene Iyana, Chairman of Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc
- Mrs. Christabel Onyejekwe, Chairman of Africa Prudential Plc
- Mrs. Funmi Oyetunji, Chairman of Prestige Assurance Plc
- Barr. Ifeoma Regina Nwahiri, Chairman of Cutix Plc
- Dr. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, Chairman of Secure Electronic Technology Plc
Their professional backgrounds span banking, accounting, law, technology, consulting, public service, engineering, healthcare and consumer goods.
Several have held senior executive positions before taking on board leadership.
David-Borha previously served as CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings and Standard Bank’s Africa Regions business, while Anammah was formerly CEO of Jumia Nigeria.
Johnson served as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Technology and previously chaired Accenture Nigeria. Okauru was the first female Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Elumelu, a medical doctor by training, has held leadership positions across healthcare, hospitality and investment, while Olorunshola built her earlier career at Unilever Nigeria before moving into board leadership.
Several of the appointments are also recent. Elumelu and Onwughalu became chairpersons of their respective companies in January 2026, while Iheakanwa took over at Secure Electronic Technology in March.
The appointments come as women’s representation in the boardrooms of Nigeria’s largest listed companies continues to receive greater attention.
The latest PWR Advisory NGX-30 Board Gender Diversity Scorecard, published in 2025, found that women occupied 98 of 315 board seats across the 30 largest companies on the NGX, representing 31.1% of board membership.
The scorecard also recorded five female CEOs and three female board chairs among the NGX-30 companies in 2025, compared with one female board chair in 2024.
For the first time since the scorecard began, none of the NGX-30 companies had an entirely male board.
The 12 women identified by Nairametrics represent a range of professional backgrounds and career paths into corporate leadership, from banking and finance to technology, law, healthcare and public service.
Their appointments also show that women are not entering corporate leadership through one particular route. Some have risen through traditional corporate careers, while others have moved between the private sector, public service, entrepreneurship and professional practice.
As Nigerian companies continue to evolve, the presence of women at the highest levels of corporate governance provides a growing picture of what leadership in the country’s boardrooms looks like.
