Labour Party presidential flag-bearer, Peter Obi; Kenya’s President William Ruto, entertainer and singer Burna Boy, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, among others, have been named in the list of the 100 Most Influential Africans.
The list, which was released by the New African Magazine, also featured achievements of people “whose lives and work have created far-reaching ripples within the continent and abroad.”
On the list, which appears in this year’s Christmas (December/January) issue of ‘New Africa,’ are the likes of Heads of State, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, who has appeared over the years on the list, and Sierra Leone’s Maada Bio, who has allocated over 20% of his country’s budget to education.
The list equally parades the crème of Africa’s creative talent comprising writers, singers, actors, designers, editors, journalists, chefs, and even Tiktokers, including Kenya’s actress Lupita Nyong’o, UK Vogue editor Edward Enninful, and Nigerian award-winning singer, Burna Boy, in addition to the continent’s best-selling authors and designers currently creating a uniquely African aesthetic that cannot be ignored.
The list comprises 27 African nationalities, dominated by Nigerians who make up 28 entries; followed by South Africa’s 11; Kenya, 9; while Ghana and Cameroon have five each.
A further breakdown shows that the list has 62 men and 38 women, while creatives lead with 26 entries, followed by entrepreneurs at 21, while Anglophone Africans are in the majority with 67.
A statement by the magazine noted that although the list contains a fresh and exciting crop of fresh achievers, there are names that have appeared before, which it quoted the editor, Anver Versi, as saying “is a tribute to their staying power that year-on-year, they do not rest on their laurels but continue with fresh impetus to do more for more people in more areas.”
This year’s listing, as previous listings have done, the statement continued, reflects the changing emphasis and priorities on the continent.
As normal life begins to reassert itself after the COVID ravages, Africa’s entrepreneurs, innovators, social and environmental activists, scientists, and opinion shapers make a strong comeback into the ranks.
In the field of sport, the French Algerian football superstar Karim Benzema joins other sporting greats like Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Kenya’s Eluid Kipchoge.
Their influence transcends sports and they have become role models for the youth of this young continent.
The influence of most of the African leaders and entrepreneurs who made the list, the statement added, also extends beyond their normal framework, having regional and global touch, like Afreximbank’s President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, because of what is termed his original approach to finance and now making the impossible possible.