The presence of women in top executive positions within Nigeria’s corporate sector has steadily grown, with more female leaders now steering some of the country’s biggest companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX).
This list spotlights women leading some of the most asset-rich corporations in Nigeria, spanning banking, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and insurance.
Collectively, these female CEOs are responsible for managing assets valued at over N81 trillion.
Many of these female CEOs bring decades of experience across local and international institutions, combining strategic vision with proven track records in finance, operations, and innovation. Their rise to the helm of these companies signals a shift toward inclusivity and merit-based leadership in corporate governance.
Beyond their professional achievements, these executives also serve as role models for the next generation of women in business. Their positions reflect progress in gender representation at the highest levels of corporate Nigeria, while also highlighting the work that remains to achieve greater equity.
Here is a list of the top 15 female CEOs of companies listed on NGX by their total asset
Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the group managing director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, was appointed in January 2021 and became the first female to lead the institution
In 2024, Fidelity Bank generated N1.04 trillion in revenue, held total assets of N8.82 trillion, and had a market capitalization of N560 billion.
- She has over 30 years of experience working in several institutions, including Standard Chartered Bank Plc., Zenith Bank Plc., and Citizens International Bank/Enterprise Bank.
- She was born in Lagos. She earned a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a Master of Law from King’s College London. She further enhanced her leadership credentials through executive programmes at Harvard Business School, the Wharton School, and Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
- In 1990, she began her banking career as a legal officer with the now-defunct African Continental Bank. She was a treasury officer for First African Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. She later joined Enterprise Bank in 2011 as an executive director of the bank’s operations in Lagos and other places in Nigeria’s South-Western region.
Onyeali-Ikpe joined Fidelity Bank in January 2015 as an executive director before being promoted to Managing Director/CEO on January 1, 2021.
Prior to this role, she was formerly Executive Director, Lagos and South-West, where she oversaw the bank’s operations in the six states that comprise the bank’s South-West area.
