W MAN LEADERGLOBAL W MAN LEADERGLOBAL 5 SEPTEMBER2026Editor's NoteWest Africa and Women in Leadership: An Ongoing Journey Progress for women in West African business leadership is real, but it's happening in fits and starts. Take Ghana's latest boardroom numbers: out of nearly 900 board seats across the country's top 100 institutions, women hold just under 26 percent, actually a touch lower than three years ago. But look closer and the picture brightens. The number of women chairing boards has nearly doubled since 2023, and the number of companies reaching full gender parity has grown more than fourfold. Banks, in particular, are leading the way.The more energizing story, though, is playing out at the individual level. Senegalese entrepreneur Fatoumata Bâ has been striking major deals through her venture firm Janngo Capital, including backing the fintech app Djamo, while also chairing Auchan's African business. In Nigeria, Owen Omogiafo has steered TransCorp through a year of double-digit revenue growth.There's also a bigger pattern underneath all this: research across the continent shows that when more women sit on boards, more women-led businesses tend to follow. Representation, it turns out, has a way of multiplying itself.The current edition of Global Woman Leader magazine highlights inspiring women leaders from various West African countries. One of the featured leaders from Nigeria is Dr. Chizoba Anyaeche Nwabunike, the MD/CEO of Rue Sage Adtech Limited. She brings extensive expertise in advertising, marketing and strategic communications. She specializes in integrating technology, consumer insight and data-driven strategy to deliver measurable business growth. Passionate about innovation and leadership, she is committed to advancing Africa's advertising industry while mentoring the next generation of professionals.Read in-depth conversations featuring women leaders from West Africa in this month's special edition of the Global Woman Leader magazine.Let us know your thoughts. Rachita SharmaManaging Editoreditor@globalwomanleader.com
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