22 April 2026, Brussels – Women Political Leaders (WPL) is honoured to thank Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Katryn Ezekwesili for her five years of distinguished service on the WPL Board, including the last three years as Chair.
A Member of the WPL Board since 2021, Dr. Ezekwesili was appointed Chair of the Board on February 1, 2023. Dr. Ezekwesili’s tenure as Chair was highlighted by supporting WPL out of the COVID pandemic, back into a full schedule of in-person convenings after three years which had limited WPL to many online-only convenings.
Most notably, WPL celebrated its 10th anniversary by co-hosting the WPL Summit 2023 in Brussels with the European Parliament and the Senate of Belgium. Subsequently, the WPL Summit 2024 was co-hosted in Athens with the Parliament of Greece, and the WPL Summit 2025 was co-hosted with the Parliament of Montenegro in Podgorica.
Under Dr. Ezekwesili’s three years as Chair of the Board, WPL presented ten current or former women Presidents and Prime Minister with the WPL Trailblazer Award: Tarja Halonen, President of Finland (2000-2012); Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the Swiss Confederation (2020, 2015); Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia (2018-2024); Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland (2019-2023); Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of Moldova (2021-2023); Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-1997); Katerína Sakellaropoúlou, President of Greece (2020-2025); Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006-2018); Xiomara Castro, President of Honduras (2022-2026); and Ewa Kopacz, Prime Minister of Poland (2014-2015).
By the end of Dr. Ezekwesili’s tenure as Chair, the organisation had WPL Country Ambassadors serving in 52 countries around the world, plus eight Global Ambassadors and five Special Envoys.
“Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has played a vital role in advancing the mission of WPL and championing the broader cause of women political leadership,” said Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President and Founder of WPL. “Dr. Oby is deeply committed to integrity, justice, and inclusive governance, as well as a steadfast belief in the importance of equal opportunities for women and men in political life. As WPL continues its work to increase the number of women in political leadership, the organization will continue to benefit from her wisdom and dedication to empowering women around the world.”
In becoming Chair of the Board, Dr. Ezekwesili replaced Helen Clark, whom she now joins as Chair Emeritus of the WPL Board.
“Serving as Chair of the WPL Board has been a privilege for me. In this role, I have been proud to guide WPL in advancing its global mission of increasing the number of women in political leadership and strengthening their influence in decision-making,” said Dr. Ezekwesili. “Across the world, women leaders have played a powerful role in shaping policies and driving meaningful progress that has improved the lives of millions. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help elevate these voices, encourage stronger collaboration, and support new ideas and initiatives that move us closer to ensuring women are firmly represented in leadership and governance.”
In becoming Chair of the WPL Board in 2023, Dr Ezekwesili brought a plethora of qualifications and experience. A candidate for the office of President of Nigeria in 2019, Dr. Ezekwesili first served the Nigerian government as Head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, where she led pioneering reforms to public procurement. She was appointed Minister of Solid Minerals in 2005 and chaired the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in which capacity she successfully designed and implemented the global principles for Nigeria. In 2006 she became Minister of Education, until taking up the role of Vice President for the World Bank’s Africa Region in 2007. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Board of SPPG- School of Politics Policy and Governance in Abuja, Nigeria and concurrently the Founder and Emerita- Chair of the #FixPolitics Initiative, a research-based citizens-led initiative.
For more information or interview requests, please contact Rick Zednik, Secretary of the WPL Board at [email protected].
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Notes to editors
About WPL
Women Political Leaders (WPL) is the global network of women politicians. Its mission is to increase the number and influence of women in political leadership positions. WPL communities include women in political office – Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, and Members of Parliament.
The WPL Board provides guidance, solutions, and foundations to further advance the vital mission of WPL of “increasing the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions”. It also gives directions to WPL activities in different national and international political environments.
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