10 African Women Who Move The World
Arrival’s spotlight on women leaders who are redefining industries -from aviation to arts, from tech to business.
Adefunke Adeyemi
Aviation Diplomat
Adefunke Adeyemi Secretary-General of African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC). As the boss of the continent’s main regulatory body, Adeyemi leading the charge for Africa’s Single Air Transport Market (SAATM)—an ambitious project designed to open African skies for African carriers. She is notably the rst women to lead the august body; this has earned her the deserving epithet of Africa’s diplomat of the skies. A tting description because she is famously a formidable negotiator and strategist whose work ensures that aviation is not just about travel but about economic integration, trade, and opportunity for over a billion Africans.
Adeyemi trained as a lawyer at the University of Lagos and later at the University of London before joining the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where she was the voice for African airlines, advocating for fairer policies, sustainability, and safer skies.
She has left no one in doubt about her focus, stating, “A connected Africa is a competitive Africa—and I’m committed to both.”
ARRIVAL salutes Adefunke Adeyemi as the diplomat of the skies, connecting Africa’s future through aviation freedom.
Yvonne Makolo
Aviation Trailblazer,
“Flying the flag for Africa—one sky at a time.”
Yvonne Manzi Makolo is the CEO of RwandAir.
The Kigali-born business leader is one of the very few female airline chiefs in the world as well as a symbol of Rwanda’s vision to transform aviation into an engine of national pride. Makolo obtained a d degree in Information Technology (IT) in Canada before returning home to start a high-ying career at MTN Rwanda, where she rose steadily through leadership roles in communications and corporate affairs.
Under Makolo’s leadership, RwandAir expanded its routes, modernized its eet, and became a respected voice in regional aviation. In 2023, Makolo reached another milestone: becoming the rst African woman to serve as President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Beyond her corporate achievements, Makolo is a mentor to women in leadership and a passionate advocate for gender inclusion in the aviation industry. Her story is a powerful reminder that African women are not waiting for permission to lead—they are seizing the controls and charting the course.
ARRIVAL celebrates Yvonne Makolo as proof that Africa’s skies are no longer the limit—they are the launchpad.
Mosunmola Abudu
Africa’s Storyteller-in-Chief
She is Mosunmola Abudu. But simply call Sand address her as Mo Abudu and watch it elicit smiles and approving nods both in the entertainment and business circles. That is because that name is synonymous with vision and reinvention. Widely hailed as “Africa’s Oprah,” she has built EbonyLife Media into an international powerhouse for storytelling, bringing African narratives to screens across the globe.
A graduate of the University of Westminster in London, Abudu’s career began in human resources before her passion for storytelling took over.
Her rich repertoire , include Moments with Mo, a wildly popular talk show, which aired across 48 African countries, EbonyLife TV and later EbonyLife Films as well as Fifty and Òlòtré.
In 2023, Forbes recognized her as one of the most powerful women in global media.
But her true power lies in what she represents: the ability of African women to claim narrative ownership in a world where their voices have too often been ignored and indeed in tell the African story.
In her words, “There are stories only we can tell—and I’ve made it my life’s work to tell them beautifully.”
ARRIVAL honours Mo Abudu as Africa’s Storyteller-in-Chief, curating legacy
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Global Trade Leader
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization-the rst woman and the rst African to hold the role. Her journey to Geneva began in Nigeria, where she served twice as Finance Minister, leading reforms that improved transparency, strengthened institutions, and positioned Africa’s largest economy for resilience. Before public ofce, she spent 25 years at the World Bank, rising to Managing Director with responsibilities across operations in Africa, South Asia and Europe
At the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala’s focus has been clear: restoring condence in multilateralism while ensuring that developing economies, small businesses and women-led enterprises can benet from global trade. Her tenure has emphasized practical outcomes support for resilient supply chains, pandemic response initiatives, sheries subsidies reform, digital trade conversations, and a renewed attention to how trade can enable climate-smart growth. Throughout, she has brought to the institution a reputation for results, coalition-building and an insistence on inclusion.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s education at Ivy League institutions of Harvard and MIT/Harvard Kennedy School (Economics and Public Administration) prepared her sufciently to take on the world in all spheres.
Beyond trade diplomacy, Okonjo-Iweala is a champion of health security and women’s leadership.
She has served on boards and high-level panels dedicated to vaccines, pandemic preparedness and sustainable development, consistently amplifying Africa’s voice in global decision-making. Her leadership style blends moral clarity with technocratic rigour, a combination that makes her one of Africa’s most trusted stateswomen.
Her story is also one of personal resilience: navigating domestic and international politics, economic headwinds and the demands of global governance while keeping people, not just policy, at the center of the agenda. In an era of fractured geopolitics, she embodies the belief that cooperation still matters, and that African leadership belongs at the table shaping the rules of the world economy.
ARRIVAL celebrates her as the pride of Africa and an
Olubunmi Kuku
FAAN Moderniser
As the Managing Director/CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the owner and operator of perhaps Nigeria’s most critical infrastructure, Olubunmi Kuku stands tall as one of the women who move Africa. Without dispute.
Appointed in 2024 as one of the youngest women to manage the 49-year-old aviation body, Kuku has swiftly established herself not just as the modernizer of FAAN but as a leader who bridges nance, infrastructure, and aviation.
Kuku was educated at prestigious institutions including the University of Lagos and Columbia University in New York and has worked at Deloitte and Ernst & Young. She also consulted extensively in aviation bringing her strategic insights on infrastructure nancing, and earning global recognition in the process.
At FAAN, she is spearheading modernization across Nigeria’s 22 airports, improving not only infrastructure but also the customer experience. From implementing smart technologies to driving sustainability initiatives, Kuku is rebranding Nigerian airports as hubs of pride and progress.
Recognising the strategic importance of the Authority, she said, “Airports are the front doors to nations. It is our duty to make Nigeria’s rst impression world-class.”
ARRIVAL celebrates Olubunmi Kuku as a symbol of Nigeria’s aviation renaissance and a moderniser of national pride.
Dambisa Moyo
Global Economist
Dr. Dambisa Moyo is one of the world’s most inuential economists and one of Zambia’s brightest exports. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, with a PhD in Economics, Moyo’s career has spanned roles at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs before she became a global author and thought leader.
Her books—including Dead Aid, How the West Was Lost, and How Boards Work—have been international bestsellers, shaping debates on aid, development, and corporate governance. Today, she sits on the boards of major multinationals such as Chevron and 3M, inuencing policies that touch millions of lives.
Dr. Moyo may be the author of multiple global best sellers and a boardroom guru but her deep understanding of continental challenges and creative solutions marks her out as one of the women who move Africa. Small wonder she famously said, “Africa doesn’t need charity—it needs opportunity.”
ARRIVAL highlights Dambisa Moyo as a mind for numbers and a heart for the continent, inspiring opportunity-driven growth.
Nunu Ntshingila
Digital Pioneer
Nunu Ntshingila has been a trailblazer in advertising and digital innovation. The rst woman to head Meta’s (formerly Facebook) operations in Sub-Saharan Africa, she has been at the forefront of connecting African creativity to global platforms.
A graduate of the University of Swaziland and Morgan State University in the U.S., Ntshingila began her career at Nike before making her mark in advertising at Ogilvy. Her work transformed how African brands told their stories, blending cultural authenticity with global marketing trends.
But beyond her corporate achievements, Ntshingila is a champion of women in leadership and a mentor to many. Her words encapsulate her dream for Africa: “My mission is simple—connect Africa’s stories to the world, and the world to Africa’s creativity.”
ARRIVAL recognizes Nunu Ntshingila as a catalyst for Africa’s digital rise and a role model for women in technology.
Angelique Kadijo
Global Music Icon
Angélique Kidjo is more than a singer—she is a global cultural ambassador. Born in Ouidah, Benin, Kidjo grew up immersed in music, blending traditional African rhythms with Western inuences. She studied music in Paris, where her career began to soar. Over the decades, she has won ve Grammy Awards, performed at the world’s largest stages, and collaborated with artists from Alicia Keys to Bono.
Kidjo is also a powerful humanitarian. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has advocated for girls’ education, women’s empowerment, and African culture on the globalm stage. Her Batonga Foundation provides scholarships and mentoring for African girls, ensuring her inuence extends beyond music into generational change. Kidjo says, “My passport is Beninese, but my music and mission are boundless.”
ARRIVAL celebrates Angélique Kidjo as Africa’s voice to the world—resonant, fearless, and timeless.
Ibukun Awosika
Corporate Leader
Ibukun Awosika is one of Nigeria’s most respected business leaders and a moral compass in corporate Africa. Born in Ibadan, she studied Chemistry at Obafemi Awolowo University before pivoting into entrepreneurship.
She founded The Chair Centre Group, a furniture manufacturing company, which grew into one of Nigeria’s most successful businesses. In 2015, Awosika broke another ceiling by becoming the rst female Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, the country’s oldest nancial institution. Beyond boardrooms, she is an author, inspirational speaker, and mentor to young women entrepreneurs.
Through the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge and other platforms, she has helped empower women globally. Awosika once described her work thus: “My life’s work has been proving that values and vision can coexist—and win.” In the turbulence and greed that have come to dene the corporate ecosystem, Awosika exemplies in business; she is a symbol hope.
ARRIVAL recognizes Ibukun Awosika as a leader who builds with integrity, mentors with purpose, and inspires with vision.
Funmi Oyatogun
Travel Entrepreneur
Funmi Oyatogun is the millennial face geographer, explorer, and founder of TVP Adventures, she has turned her passion for maps into a movement for young Africans to reclaim their continent through tourism.
Educated at the University of Colorado and with training in cartography, Oyatogun created innovative travel itineraries that celebrate local culture. Her @X travel threads went viral, introducing thousands to hidden gems across Africa. With TVP Adventures, she curates immersive experiences that highlight history, culture, and community.
Oyatogun is also a powerful voice for women in exploration and for youth entrepreneurship. She proves that you don’t need to leave Africa to travel—you need to rediscover it. She believes travel should be “meaningful, immersive, and ours.”
ARRIVAL recognizes Funmi Oyatogun as a cartographer of culture, mapping journeys that redene African travel.
