16 Powerful Women Driving Key Roles in President Tinubu’s Economic and Governance Agenda

Since assuming office in 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has implemented sweeping economic reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s economy. From fuel subsidy removal to foreign exchange market unification and broader market-oriented policy shifts, the administration has focused on restructuring key pillars of economic governance.

Alongside these macroeconomic changes, a significant but often under-discussed development has been the increased presence of women in strategic leadership positions across ministries, departments, and agencies. These women are playing critical roles in policy design, institutional coordination, and execution of national priorities spanning energy, finance, social welfare, security, and infrastructure.

Below are 16 influential women shaping Nigeria’s governance and economic direction under the Tinubu administration:

1. Didi Esther Walson-Jack

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation

• Leading civil service reform, efficiency, and public sector transformation.

2. Zubaida Umar Abubakar

Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

• Overseeing disaster response and humanitarian coordination nationwide.

3. Olu Verheijen

Special Adviser to the President on Energy

• Driving Nigeria’s energy transition strategy and investment coordination in the oil and gas sector.

4. Wale Edun’s Senior Female Policy Advisers (Economic Team Contributors)

• Supporting fiscal policy design and macroeconomic coordination within the Ministry of Finance.

5. Doris Uzoka-Anite

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

• Leading industrialisation policy, investment promotion, and trade expansion strategies.

6. Hannatu Musawa

Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy

• Driving Nigeria’s creative economy expansion and cultural export strategy.

7. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye

Minister of Women's Affairs

• Leading gender empowerment, social inclusion, and women-focused development programmes.

8. Betta Edu

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

• Initially responsible for social protection and poverty reduction initiatives.

9. Bosun Tijani’s Senior Female Digital Economy Executives

• Supporting digital transformation and tech ecosystem policy implementation.

10. Aisha Maikudi

Senior academic and legal policy contributor (education governance advisory roles)

• Supporting institutional reforms in higher education governance.

11. Zahrah Mustapha Audu

Director-General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Secretariat

• Driving ease-of-doing-business reforms and regulatory efficiency.

12. Fatima Waziri-Azi

Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)

• Leading anti-human trafficking enforcement and victim protection.

13. Stella Okotete

Executive Director, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank)

• Supporting export financing and non-oil export expansion.

14. Folashade Yemi-Esan

Former Head of Civil Service of the Federation (transition influence role)

• Helped shape ongoing civil service reforms and institutional frameworks.

15. Nkiruka Maduekwe

Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (NCCC)

• Coordinating Nigeria’s climate policy and green transition agenda.

16. Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim

Senior political and policy contributor (legislative and governance advisory roles)

• Supporting policy development and governance reforms.

Conclusion

The Tinubu administration’s reform agenda is not only defined by macroeconomic restructuring but also by a growing emphasis on inclusive leadership. These 16 women represent a cross-section of Nigeria’s governance architecture, influencing critical sectors such as finance, energy, industry, humanitarian affairs, climate policy, and public service reform.

While challenges remain in execution and institutional capacity, their roles highlight a broader shift toward leveraging diverse leadership talent in driving Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.