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
Ms. Mariya Aliko Dangote is the Executive Director of Operations at Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, a role she assumed on 28 July 2023.
- In her executive capacity, Ms. Aliko Dangote oversees the business and strategic operations of Dangote Sugar Refinery, including leadership of backward integration projects and the implementation of digitization and mechanization across key operational processes and subsidiaries.
- Before joining Dangote Sugar Refinery, she served as a Business Strategy and Corporate Risk Specialist at Dangote Industries Limited, the holding company of the Dangote Group.
- Ms. Aliko Dangote holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and a Barrister at Law (BL), as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Coventry University in the United Kingdom. She is also attending the Cambridge Senior Management Programme and has completed professional courses in business strategy, advanced management, alternative dispute resolution, and productivity optimization.
In addition to her responsibilities at Dangote Sugar Refinery, she also serves on the boards of Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited, Dangote Cement Limited, Dangote Packaging Limited and the Al‑Ummah Development Foundation, contributing to broader group initiatives and governance.
Women of greater reasons of Life 💝🙏
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