In a corporate world dominated by men, a growing number of women are now serving as board chairs, not just as directors of big companies.
According to the sixth edition of the 2025 PWR NGX Top 30 Gender Diversity Scorecard by PWR Advisory, women now occupy 98 out of 315 total board seats in the NGX-30 companies.
It said, “There are five women CEOs, the highest since the scorecard’s inception, compared to four last year, and three companies have female board chairs, up from one in 2024.”
However, the number of women sitting as board chairs has increased in 2026, as more women hold more seats in the Nigerian listed companies.
Dahlia Khalifa, IFC regional director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, said for Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, ensuring that leadership reflects the diversity of its people is truly non-negotiable.
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According to the IFC’s 2023 gender data, women accounted for 25 percent of board seats in Nigeria, 8 percent of board chairs, and 8 percent of CEOs. These numbers show momentum but also expose persistent gaps.
“Increasing the participation of women as leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees is not only a moral imperative but also a smart business strategy,” she said. “Companies with more women in leadership have been shown to outperform their peers in profitability, innovation, and resilience.”
She added that closing the gender gap in Nigeria’s key sectors could yield an economic gain of up to $22 billion in GDP.
Similarly, the rise reflects years of progress in corporate governance reforms, shareholder activism, and a broader push for diversity at the top of Nigeria’s business ecosystem. More importantly,
From banking and manufacturing to consumer goods and infrastructure, these women bring decades of experience in finance, law, public service, and entrepreneurship, redefining leadership in Nigeria’s boardrooms.
Here are five women currently sitting as board chairs of listed companies
Ifeyinwa Osime; Board Chair, Access Bank
Ifeyinwa Osime is the newest addition to the women chairing board representation in Access Bank, following the retirement of Paul Usoro on January 29, 2026, upon the completion of his regulatory tenure limit.
Her path to the boardroom was shaped early by law and regulation. Osime began her career at the Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation before moving to African Development Insurance Company Limited, now NSIA Insurance. There, she served as company secretary and assistant general manager for administration and legal, roles that exposed her to corporate structure, compliance, and risk at a formative stage.
Over the years, she built a broad portfolio of board experience across financial services and insurance. She has served as an independent non-executive director at Coronation Insurance Plc, the board chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Ltd, and a non-executive director at Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank Limited. These roles cemented her reputation as a steady and thoughtful board leader.
Awele Elumelu; Board Chair, Transcorp Hotels
Awele Elumelu was appointed the board chair of Transcorp Hotels, effective 1 January 2026.
Her appointment follows the retirement of the current Chair, Emmanuel N. Nnorom.
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Elumelu brings exceptional leadership experience across healthcare, insurance, corporate governance, and philanthropy.
She is the chair of Avon Healthcare Limited (Avon HMO), Nigeria’s leading health insurance provider, and Avon Medical Practice, a fast-growing network of hospitals and clinics. She also chairs Heirs Insurance Brokers and is a founding director of Heirs Holdings Limited.
Bola Adesola; Board Chair, Ecobank Nigeria
In July 2021, Bola Adesola was appointed to the board of Ecobank Nigeria Limited as Chairman, following the end of the tenure of John Aboh.
She is a highly respected professional with over 33 years of experience in the banking sector. She has commendable leadership qualities and has successfully driven expansion initiatives in several banks.
As a board member of Imperial Logistics Plc, a shipper listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Bola also serves as an independent director in Guinness Nigeria and Central Securities Clearing System Plc.
She is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, where she is the immediate past president of the Alumni Association. Bola holds a Law degree from the University of Buckingham, UK, and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, U.K. and Nigeria
Juliet Anammah; Board Chair, Nigerian Breweries
Juliet Anammah was appointed the first female board chair of Nigerian Breweries Plc., effective January 1, 2025.
Anammah joined the board effective January 1, 2022, and before she was appointed the chair of the board, she was the chair of the Governance and Ethics Committee.
She has over three decades of professional experience covering consulting, consumer goods, sales, marketing, e-commerce, and sustainability.
She is the immediate past chair and chief group sustainability officer of Jumia Nigeria, having previously held the role of chief executive officer with Jumia.
She had also served as the managing director of Accenture LLC, in charge of the firm’s consumer goods practice, retail, and transportation practice in West Africa. She serves on the boards of local and international organisations, including Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.
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Adebisi Lamikanra; Board Chair, Leadway Assurance
Adebisi Lamikanra was appointed the board chair of Leadway Assurance, effective November 2025. Following the tenure expiration and retirement of Martin Luther Agwai, who has served as board chairman since November 2016.
Lamikanra brings nearly four decades of exceptional leadership and advisory experience to the role. She was a partner at Andersen Nigeria and made history as the first female partner at KPMG Nigeria, where she retired as head of advisory services and lead for the African region advisory practice.
Her career has been defined by strategic consultancy to leading local and multinational organisations across sectors. A proud alumna of the University of Lagos and the Lagos Business School, she has also honed her leadership skills through advanced executive programs at Harvard Business School, INSEAD University, and the Kellogg School of Management.
Lamikanra currently serves on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Evercare Hospital Lekki, and Nestle Nigeria, where her governance acumen and cross-sector insights continue to shape corporate excellence.
