In honor of International Women’s Month, we discuss Nigerian women who have broken glass ceilings, set records, and inspired generations of women. Some in the activism space, some in the media and entertainment industry, and some in the sports world.
- Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is a woman who not only defied the odds but also created better odds for women. As an activist, educator, and protest organizer, Funmilayo revolutionized women during her time and has continued to contribute heavily to the activism space, even in death. She is credited for establishing the Abeokuta Women’s Union and advocating for women’s rights, fighting for better representation of women in local governing bodies, and demanding an end to the unfair taxes put on market women at the time. She also took part in the Nigerian independence movement. Another major thing she is also known for is being the first Nigerian woman to own a car back in the 1940s.
- Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an economist and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), who made history as the first woman to lead the WTO. She also served as Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs and as the first Nigerian woman to serve two terms as Nigeria’s finance minister. She is a woman who not only set a new standard for Nigerian women but also beat the odds stacked against women in political spaces by achieving feats no woman had before. Dr. Ngozi also has over 25 years of career experience at the World Bank.
- Mo Abudu
Mosunmola Abudu, popularly known as Mo Abudu, is credited as the first pan-African television network owner on the continent, with her television network “EbonyLife TV.” She is also known as one of the major pillars of Nollywood and is widely credited as not only one of the women leading the space but also one of the most successful figures in the television network business. Mo Abudu owns one of the country’s most famous cinema spaces and, with her studio, has produced some of the biggest productions that broke records in Nigerian and West African history.
- Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele is a triple talent as a filmmaker, director, and actress who has made history and broken records several times. She is the definition of someone who not only breaks odds but also creates space for others to break them. She is the first filmmaker to rank number 1 at the box office for the last three consecutive years, and with her latest film, “Behind The Scenes,” she became the highest-grossing filmmaker and director in Africa. Funke also owns the record for the highest-grossing Nigerian movie in history and has continued to dominate the movie industry in West Africa. Her existence is a testament to how much women can achieve.
- Agbani Darego
Agbani Darego is highly regarded in the modeling world, especially across the African continent, as the first Black African to win the title of “Miss World.” In 2001, Agbani made history as the first Nigerian model and beauty queen to win the Miss World title. She was not only the first Black African but also the fourth African overall, and the third one to win the title outright. Agbani also went on to contest at Miss Universe and became the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall. Even now, over two decades later, she is still regarded as an icon in the modeling industry, with more Nigerian women training to achieve the feats she did.
- Chioma Ajunwa
Chioma Agunwa is a woman in sports who revolutionized the sports space for not only women but Nigerians in general. A former track and field athlete and football player, she made history when she became the first Nigerian to win Olympic gold and the first Black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Chioma is also credited to date as the only woman in African history to compete at both the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a footballer and the Olympics as a track-and-field athlete. Her existence and performance as an athlete not only beat the odds but also inspired a new generation of female athletes who now know they can achieve things because she set the precedent.
- Hilda Baci
Hilda Baci is a three-time Guinness World Record holder, a restaurateur, and a Nigerian chef who gained worldwide recognition and popularity for her attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking hours, which she succeeded in doing. Hilda’s attempt at the Guinness World Record, which was cooking for 93 hours and 11 minutes in May 2023, and a second attempt in September 2025, were both confirmed by Guinness World Records as her feat of cooking the largest quantity of Jollof. She has built a career as a chef, an influencer, a food creator, and a pioneer of a cooking competition that awards prizes totaling millions of Naira. She is the first Nigerian to set so many cooking records and has gone on to inspire more people to create and break the odds in the cooking field.
