Top 10 Richest Women in Nigeria 2023

It is notable that across the world, we have Nigerian citizens of high net worth in terms of earning power. People who have amassed so much wealth that they have earned a worthy mention in the Forbes list of the rich and famous. This includes some of the richest women in Nigeria as well as Africa.  They have climbed high up the ladder of wealth that they cannot go unnoticed.  Nigeria, reputed to be the largest economy in Africa, has an unbelievably huge gap in economic inequality. The gap between the rich and poor people on one hand; and between the male and female genders on the other hand. Which makes it truly an achievement for such women to be mentioned among Nigeria’s richest persons. So much so that even the Western world find it impossible to overlook.

In this article, we will throw some light on the top 10 richest women in Nigeria. This is done by their total estimated wealth (as at the current year). Also,  how they got to their enviable zenith. Here is a quick summary of the top 10 richest women in Nigeria

Top 10 Richest Women in Nigeria 2023

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1. FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA

Folorunsho Alakija, the richest woman in Nigeria and presumably the second richest woman in Africa, stands at an estimated net worth of 1 Billion US Dollars as we speak. Born in July 1951 in Ikorodu Lagos, Folorunso Alakija is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who has foraged over the years into the banking world, fashion design, some corporate entities, real estate, printing, and notably the oil and gas industry. She launched her journey into the corporate world as a secretary for Sijuade Enterprises in the year 1974. Much of her wealth is attributed to her investment in the oil and gas industry – she set up Famfa Oil Limited in 1991, and obtained an oil prospecting license in the Agbami field of the Niger Delta area in 1993. She also owns Rose of Sharon House of Fashion (which started out as Supreme Stitches) and has quality investments in real estate.

2. BOLA MUINAT SHAGAYA

Standing at a staggering networth of about 950 Million US Dollars, Hajia Bola Shagaya comes second place in the list of the richest women and serial entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Born in October 1958, she graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. She started out her career as an auditor at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Presently she is the owner and founder of the Bolmus Group International – a conglomerate with established businesses that include oil and gas production and distribution; photographic equipment and lab services; real estate properties spread across Nigeria, USA and Europe; banking; and communications.

3. DAISY EHANIRE DANJUMA

Daisy Danjuma is the spouse of the well-known retired General Theophilus Danjuma, a former Nigerian Army Chief of Staff. Born on August 1952 in Benin city, Daisy Danjuma is a former Edo state senator and an attorney. She began her career as an executive assistant in the Nigerian Acceptances Limited (NAL) between 1977 and 1978;  and thereafter worked as a legal adviser to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The lawyer and politician has since served as a member of board of several companies both public and private.  She has a net worth of around 900 Million US Dollars as the third richest woman in Nigeria at the moment.

4. OFFIONG EKANEM EJINDU

Offiong Ekanem Ejindu (a.k.a Fifi Ejindu) is a trained architect and prolific businesswoman born into the royal family of late King James Ekpo Bassey of Cobham town in Calabar, in 1962. Her father, Joseph Una is a professor at the University of Ibadan. Fifi Ejindu who graduated from the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn New York with a Diploma in Architecture. has since set up the Starcrest Group of Companies – with major interests in construction, real estate, oil and gas industry amongst other investments. She is also the founder of the African Arts and Fashion Initiative set up in the year 2013 in London. As the forth richest woman in Nigeria, she has amassed roughly 850 Million US Dollars in assets till date.

5. STELLA OKOLI

Dr. Stella Okoli was born on July 1944 in Kano state Nigeria and is worth 850 million US Dollars at present. A trained pharmacist, philanthropist and entrepreneur, she is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceuticals Limited – whose parent company is based in India. The graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Bradford started her entrepreneurship journey by setting up a retail pharmacy store in Shomolu-Lagos; following her work in notable hospitals as a pharmacist before then (which included Middlesex Hospital in London and Massey Children’s Hospital in Lagos). At her Emzor chemist store, she committed to the importing of Over-The-Counter drugs. But eventually her vision drove her to set up a fully-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing company, the Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries in 1984; which has since become a household name in the Nigerian space with over 50 licenced products.

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6. BIMBO ALASHE

Bimbo Alashe is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Leatherworld Furniture and with an estimated net worth of 750 million US Dollars. She migrated from just selling furniture products in a store in Lagos, to creating assembling and manufacturing plants as far as in the Calabar Free Trade Zone for her furniture business; as well as having prominent stores in Lagos and FCT Abuja.

7. MOSUNMOLA ABUDU

Born September 1964 in London, Mosunmola Abudu (popularly referred to as Mo Abudu) is a media giant of no mean repute, a philanthropist and former human resources management consultant worth an estimated 650 million US Dollars at present. She founded Ebonylive Television & Film, a media establishment set up in 2006 which currently has rights to broadcast in 49 African countries, UK and the Carribbean. She has been a producer and co-producer of some of the highest-earning films in modern Nigerian film industry – including the ‘Wedding Planner’ and ‘Chief Daddy’.

8. STELLA ODUAH

Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi, born January 1962 is a politician on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, a Nigerian senator and a former Minister of Aviation. She owns Sea Petroleum and Gas Company (SPG) and has strong investments in the engineering, shipping, and tourism industries. Having graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Accounting and Business Administration from the United States, she began her career with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 1983. Today, she stands at an estimated worth of 600 Million US Dollars. She has been involved in some controversies bordering on corruption during her tenure while serving as a government officer.

9. NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala GCON is an economist and a global financial trade expert who has been serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization since March 2021 – with an estimated net worth of 500 million US Dollars. She has served as a former Finance minister of Nigeria and beyond this, worked for 25 years at the World Bank. She is also a board member of several companies and organizations; notable ones include the Rockefeller Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Danone amongst others.

10. DIEZANE ALLISON-MADUEKE

Diezani Allison-Madueke, born December 1960 in Port Harcourt stands presently at roughly 500 Million US Dollars in wealth. She is a politician, a former minister of Petroleum Resources, former Minister of Transportation; former Minister of Mines and Steel Development; and first-ever female to rise to the position of OPEC president. Diezani lauched her caeer as a worker in the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation Lagos and worked her way up to become an executive director of Shell Nigeria in 2006. In recent times, she has been accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of amassing wealth through corrupt means while in government service.