Across Nigeria’s top publicly listed companies, one might expect to find boardrooms filled with diverse voices and perspectives. In reality, only a small number of women currently hold executive positions shaping corporate governance.
The NGX-30 refers to the 30 largest and most liquid (frequently traded) companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
According to the 2025 PWR Advisory NGX-30 Board Gender Diversity Scorecard, women now hold 31.1% of board seats among the top 30 listed companies, up from 29.7% in 2024.
While their numbers remain few, their influence is unmistakable, guiding strategic decisions that affect millions of shareholders, employees, and industry stakeholders across the country.
In a sector defined by rapid change and competitive pressures, their contributions are critical to sustaining growth, managing risk, and setting benchmarks for corporate governance across Nigeria’s top-listed companies.
Though much of their work happens behind the scenes, the outcomes are clear. In 2025, the NGX All‑Share Index, which tracks the performance of the companies listed on the exchange, hit a record high of 155,613 points by year-end, finishing up more than 51% and solidifying its position among the best-performing emerging and frontier market exchanges globally.
These leaders are not just present in the boardroom, they are driving results, shaping policy, and setting benchmarks for operational excellence.
Here are the 13 female executive directors of Nigeria’s top 30 publicly listed companies
In February 2024, she was appointed as Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings until 29 August 2025, when the substantive Group Managing Director/CEO was appointed.
- She started her career three decades ago at Guaranty Trust Bank, where she served in a range of roles, including Relationship Manager and Vault Custodian, rising to managerial rank by 2001. In 2003, she served as Chief Executive Officer of JKG Limited, a business consulting firm, before joining Access Bank as Assistant General Manager later that year, managing the bank’s portfolio of chemical trading companies.
- Ms. Agbede served as Head of Group Human Resources for Access Bank from 2010 to 2022. In 2022, she was appointed the company’s founding Executive Director for Business Support, a role that positioned her at the heart of strategic execution across the Access Holdings ecosystem.
- She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos and a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield University, UK.
Ms. Agbede is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, with advanced leadership training from IMD and London Business School.
Women of greater reasons of Life 💝🙏
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