Celebrating Africa’s Bold, Audacious, Corporate Women

Nominate a deserving Woman for Ascent’s Top 100 Career Women in Africa

The Top 100 Career Women in Africa honors bold, pioneering women shaping industries across the continent. These exceptional leaders are redefining what’s possible in their careers, shattering the glass ceiling, and raising other women up

The Top 100 Career Women in Africa: Amplifying Excellence, Driving Change

Celebrate the bold, pioneering women shaping industries and redefining leadership across Africa with the Top 100 Career Women in Africa. This prestigious recognition honors exceptional women breaking barriers and transforming the professional landscape, inspiring others to lead with innovation, resilience, and impact.

Founded by Dr. Glory Edozien, a visionary champion for women in corporate leadership, this initiative shines a spotlight on remarkable women whose achievements often go unnoticed, ensuring their stories inspire the next generation.

Since its relaunch in 2023, the Top 100 has expanded from Nigeria to the entire continent, partnering with leading media platforms like Olori SuperGal, TVC, Bella Naija, Guardian Newspapers, and Women of Rubies to amplify these inspiring stories.

For female executives seeking recognition and corporations committed to gender diversity, this platform is more than an award—it’s a movement fostering visibility, mentorship, and collaboration, while setting a new standard for leadership in Africa. Be part of the legacy that celebrates today’s trailblazers and inspires tomorrow’s leaders.

The 2025 Top 100 Career Women in Africa: Redefining Recognition

The 2025 edition of the Top 100 Career Women in Africa is set to be a groundbreaking celebration of female excellence, offering unparalleled visibility for honorees, partners, and the media. What sets this edition apart is the introduction of an exclusive in-person press event, hosted at a prestigious venue in Lagos.

This milestone event will unite the honorees with top journalists from leading media platforms, creating a powerful platform for storytelling and amplifying the visibility of these exceptional women. As part of the 5th-anniversary celebration, this initiative not only highlights their remarkable achievements but also ensures their stories inspire future generations of female leaders.

  • Excellence in Leadership and Performance
    • Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a proven track record of excellence in their respective roles within the corporate sector.
    • Significant contributions to the growth and success of their organizations or industries.
  • Personal Accomplishments
    • Notable achievements that have set the honoree apart as a trailblazer in their career.
    • Recognition for innovation, influence, and impact within their field.
  • Commitment to Sharing Knowledge
    • Active participation in mentorship, knowledge-sharing, or initiatives that empower the next generation of leaders.
    • Demonstrated efforts to uplift others through community involvement, public speaking, or professional development programs.
  • African and Lives in Africa The nominee must be an African woman who resides and works in Africa, contributing to the growth and development of the continent's corporate sector.

Nomination Process Celebrate Excellence, Inspire Leadership

1

Call for Nominations

Open invitation to the public to nominate exceptional women in the corporate sector.

Step 1: Nominations

2

Nominations Close

Nominations close and the judges begin screening.

Step 2: Screening

3

Announcement and Publication

Selected Nominees are announced and published across various digital platforms

Step 3: Announcement

Meet The Judges

Funke Amobi

Funke is a globally recognized Human Resources professional and multiple award winner.

Meet The Judges

Tewa Onasanya

Tewa Onasanya is a British-Nigerian publisher, philanthropist, author, and mindset stylist.

Yemi Faseun

Yemi is a business leader with over 30 years of multi-sector, multi-function experience.

Osayi Alile

Osayi is the CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation and has over 25 years of experience across different sectors.

Tewa Onasanya

Tewa Onasanya is a British-Nigerian publisher, philanthropist, author, and mindset stylist.

Nkiru Olumide – Ojo

Nkiru is currently the Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI at Standard Bank Group.

Dr. Naike Moshi

Dr. Naike’s is an experience serial entrepreneur, businesswoman, and gender consultant, with the vision, and dedication to empowering others.

Colleen Larsen

Colleen Larsen is the Chief Executive of Business Engage, with a career spanning 28 years in the financial services market.

Ascent Top 100

The Ascent Top 100 Career Women in Africa list, celebrates inspiring mid and senior-level female professionals in the corporate sector who are making significant contributions at work, leading by example, and disrupting the status quo.

Top 100 Career Women In Africa

Nominate a Trailblazer Today, Recognize Outstanding Female Leaders Shaping Africa’s Future

Funke Amobi

Regional Head for People & Culture Nigeria & West Africa- Standard Bank Group

Funke is a globally recognised Human Resources professional and multiple award winner. She has over 25 years of experience across Oil & Gas, Banking & Telecommunications sectors and currently serves as the Regional Head for People & Culture Nigeria & West Africa for Standard Bank Group with the responsibility for shaping the people and culture strategy across six countries.

Tewa Onasanya

Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd

Tewa Onasanya is a British-Nigerian publisher, philanthropist, Author and Mindset Stylist. She is the Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd, the publishers of Exquisite Magazine and the organizers of EMAC Walk and ELOY Awards. Tewa has been featured in numerous international and Nigerian media which include the CNN, BBC, New York Times, Wikipedia, Punch, Guardian, Thisday, Vanguard and more newspapers, Television and Radio station

Yemi Faseun

Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent

Yemi is a business leader with over 30 years of multi-sector, multi-function experience. He is currently the Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent Officer and was a two-term elected council member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). He has received a number of global recognitions such as Top 8 HR Thought Leader in Africa, Top 50 Personality on LinkedIn, 2022 Top 200 Global Thought Leader among others.

Osayi Alile

CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation

Osayi is the CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation and has over 25 years of experience across different sectors. She is an experienced Council Member with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organisation management industry. She has also been named one of the African Women of the Year in 2015.

Nkiru Olumide – Ojo

Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI- Standard Bank Group.

Nkiru is currently the Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI at Standard Bank Group. She leads a diverse team across African countries to deliver business objectives through Brand Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Corporate Social Investment. Over the course of her 20 years across career, she has gotten several recognitions such as Leading Woman in Marketing and Communications 2016, Marketing Personality of the year among others. She is also a published author of the ‘Pressure Cooker-Lessons from a woman at work’ and is a female enthusiast.

Dr. Naike Moshi

Founder – CVPeople Tanzania

Dr. Naike’s journey, with over 15 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, businesswoman, and gender consultant, is one of resilience, vision, and dedication to empowering others. Her career has focused on advancing business growth, leadership, and gender diversity across Africa. As the founder of CVPeople Tanzania, she established a trusted HR consulting firm that prioritizes people-centered solutions. Her dedication to addressing gender gaps led her to create Women in Management Africa (WIMA), a platform to elevate African women into C-suite roles. WIMA provides mentorship, career development resources, and networking opportunities that empower women across the continent to break barriers and reach new heights.

Colleen Larsen

Chief Executive-Business Engage

Colleen Larsen is the Chief Executive of Business Engage, with a career spanning 28 years in the financial services market. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work in gender mainstreaming and is considered one of the leading voices for the sustainable advancement of women in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors in South Africa. She advocates for using the business case as a foundation for transformation. One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because