In a resounding tribute to her decades-long crusade for transparency, accountability, and good governance, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) has named Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the recipient of its 2025 Cressey Award, its most prestigious recognition for lifetime achievement in fraud detection and deterrence.
The award, named after the renowned American criminologist and ACFE co-founder Dr. Donald Cressey, is reserved for global figures whose careers have been defined by a commitment to fighting fraud and championing integrity.
In its statement, the ACFE described Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s legacy as one marked by “bold reform, global leadership and a relentless pursuit of integrity.”
Currently serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the first woman and first African to occupy the role, Okonjo-Iweala brings to the honour more than four decades of experience in economics, public finance, and international development.
Her long record of service spans global institutions and national leadership, underscored by an unflinching stance against corruption.
Twice Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala led critical fiscal reforms and played a key role in securing the historic $30 billion debt relief from the Paris Club, a move hailed as a turning point in Nigeria’s economic history. Her reform-driven tenure earned her global respect as a defender of fiscal integrity and an architect of institutional resilience.
Her reputation for forthrightness extended into her 25-year career at the World Bank, where she rose to become Managing Director of Operations. She also served as senior adviser at Lazard Ltd., held board seats at Standard Chartered Bank and Twitter Inc., and took on high-level roles in pandemic response as Special Envoy for the African Union and the World Health Organization in 2020.
Her impact has been felt across a wide range of global platforms. She chaired the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, led the African Union’s African Risk Capacity Group, and co-chaired the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate alongside Lord Nicholas Stern.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a founding leader of the COVAX Facility and co-chaired the G20’s High-Level Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness Financing.
Okonjo-Iweala’s thought leadership has been widely acknowledged. TIME magazine has twice listed her among its “100 Most Influential People,” while Forbes has named her one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” on eight occasions, most recently in 2024. Her accolades include the 2020 Forbes African of the Year, The Kiel Institute’s Global Economy Prize, and the Lord Byron Prize.
She has also been the recipient of some of the highest national honours from countries including Nigeria, Brazil, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Timor-Leste. In academia, she holds 22 honorary doctorates from prestigious global institutions.
Her scholarly foundation includes a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University (Magna Cum Laude) and a Ph.D. in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
A prolific author, Okonjo-Iweala has published widely on development, leadership, and governance. Her books—Fighting Corruption is Dangerous, Reforming the UnReformable, and the co-authored Women and Leadership—offer insider perspectives on the global struggle against corruption and institutional failure.
The ACFE will formally present the 2025 Cressey Award to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala during its 36th Annual Global Fraud Conference, which is currently taking place from June 22 to 27 in the United States.
The organisation, which is the largest anti-fraud body in the world, praised her as “a towering figure whose contributions continue to shape a more transparent and accountable global order.”
