Immediate past president of Ghana, President John Mahama; Tanzania’s leading business mogul, Mr. Mo Dewji, and ECONET Wireless founder, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, have taken the lead ahead of other Africans nominated for the 2016 African Leadership magazine Person of the Year. The keenly contested poll, which is due to close on the 15th January 2017, by 12.00 C.E.T, has recorded over 50,000 visits from Africans and friends of Africa. The poll which is ongoing has been viewed by about 2.1 million people, across major social media platforms, including twitter, Facebook, amongst others. Other nominees for the prestigious African Leadership Person of the Year 2016 award include Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina – AfDB President, Nigeria; Alh . Atiku Abubakar, Business Leader, Educationist & former Vice President of Nigeria; Dr. Chris Kirubi, Business Leader & Philanthropist, Director, Centum Investment Group, Kenya; Amina Mohammed – Nigeria’s Outgoing Minister of Environment & UN Dep. Sec. Gen Designate; and Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President, Republic of South Africa.
The nominees were selected by the editorial board of the magazine, via a call for Nominations from a list of entries received, a selection process threw up 8 distinguished Africans for this year’s edition of the African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year Award. The African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year is an annual award reserved for a distinguished African, who has contributed immensely towards changing the narrative about African; displayed uncommon love for community, and pushed boundaries in a bid to further the realization of the African dream.
The Publisher of the Magazine, Dr. ken Giami , while unveiling the shortlist, maintained that, like in previous years, selecting a shortlist out of the numerous Africans nominated was quite a herculean task. In his words, “this year recorded the highest number of nomination from Africans, a sign that the African people are calling to accounts the actions and in-actions of its leaders, and do recognizes when an individual truly serves the fatherland.”
The African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year is in keeping with our tradition of presenting the sides of the continent, which hardly finds placement on the global stage, and celebrating exemplary leadership and individuals who have contributed to shaping the global perception of the African continent. These group of Africans are the Game-Changers, who are doing things differently towards re-positioning the African continent; Our nominees, as in the past all have one thing in common, which is their unwavering commitment to the Africa project.
The winner of the 2016 Person of the Year would be announced on Monday 16th January 2017, by 2.00pm Central African time, and would be formally decorated, alongside the nominees, at an investiture and Gala to be attended by Africa’s leading lights in business, politics, and community. The event is billed to hold on the 24 February 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa. As has become the tradition, this event would no doubt serve as a premium platform for high profile networking and mutually beneficial exchanges. The Forum would also be used to honor selected African business, political and diplomatic leaders, whose commitment to excellence has been impressive.
Past recipients of this prestigious award include President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia (2010);Dr. Mo Ibrahim, founder, Ibrahim Prize for Leadership, 2011; H.E. Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria 2012; Xavier Luc-Duval, Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius (2013); H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete, immediate past President of Tanzania, 2014; His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, immediate past President of Nigeria(2015).
The African Leadership magazine is published by African Leadership (UK) Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom (Company No. 07435198). The magazine focuses on bringing the best of Africa to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective; while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges being faced by the continent today.
Since its maiden edition, African Leadership Magazine has grown to become a leading pan-African flagship leadership-focused publication read by over 480, 000 targeted international investors, business executives, government policy makers and multilateral agencies across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Europe and the US. It is distributed at major international and African Leadership events around the world. The magazine has over 700,000 facebook and a virile readership on other social media platforms. It is a niche and unbiased African voice born out of a desire to ameliorate a lot of Africans by focusing on individuals and corporate bodies that are known for their legacy-based approach to leadership.
