The African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Persons of the Year Awards committee has announced World Health Organization’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the 2020 African of the year; the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, as the 2020 African Political leader of the year; Graca Michel as the 2020 African Climate Champion of the year, with no fewer than 10 other distinguished Africans in a heavily contested poll. The poll garnered above 120,000 votes on the ALM website, over 7 million active online interactions during the voting period, and over 5000 votes through email.
The winners will be adorned and presented with honour instruments on February 26th, 2021, during the annual African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Award ceremony. The event will hold virtually this year and it is set to host highly influential Africans in politics, business, and every area of African leadership spectrum.
In line with the tradition, the winners were revealed by the Publisher of the Magazine, Dr Ken Giami, at the U.K. Head Office of the group. The winners’ announcement was preceded by the awards committee that worked with the editorial team to gather online and offline votes and submissions from the publication’s more than a million subscribers/followership base.
Check out the full list of winners below:
African of the Year 2020:
1. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, – Winner
2. Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Executive Chairman, Econet Group, Zimbabwe – Runner-up
African Political Leader of the Year 2020:
1. H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana – Winner
2. H.E. John Magufuli, President of Tanzania – Runner-up
African Female Leader of the Year 2020:
1. Tiguidanke Camara, Chairman & CEO, TMG Group, Guinea – Winner
2. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa – Runner-up
African Educationist of the Year 2020
1. Professor Samuel Edoumiekumo, Vice-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Nigeria – Winner
2. Dr Patrick Awuah Jr. Founder & President, Ashesi University, Ghana – Runner-up
African Industrialist of the Year 2020
1. Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman, Oppenheimer Generations, South Africa – Winner
2. Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chairman, BUA Group, Nigeria – Runner-up
African Philanthropist of the Year 2020
1. Mo Ibrahim, Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Sudan – Winner
2. Ayo & Helen Oritsejafor, Founders, Eagle Hand Foundation, Nigeria – Runner-up
ALM Young Person of the Year 2020
1. Sadio Mane, Footballer, Senegal – Winner
2. Eder pale, Founder & CEO, Mozhandlings, Mozambique – Runner-up
African Agricultural Champion of the Year 2020
1. Onyeka Akumah, Co-founder, FarmCrowdy, Nigeria – Winner
2. Noel Doyle, Chief Executive, Tiger Brand, South Africa – Runner-up
African Climate Champion of the Year 2020
1. Graca Machel, the former first lady and climate activist, Mozambique – Winner
2. Agnes Matilda Kalibata, President, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa – Runner-up
Africa Peace & Security Leader of the Year 2020
1. H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, former president of Nigeria – Winner
2. General Vincent Nundwe, Army Commander, Malawi – Runner-up
African Energy Leader of the Year 2020
1. Kwameh Kyei, MD/CEO, Unity Oil Company Ltd, Ghana – Winner
2. Nkechi Obi, MD/CEO, Techno Oil, Nigeria – Runner-up
African Public Health Champion of the Year 2020
1. Dr John Nkengasong, Director General, Africa CDC, Cameroon – Winner
2. Jean-Jacques Muvembe, Ebola Vaccine, Congo – Runner-up
Africa Disruptor of the Year 2020
1. Kamal Yakub, Founder, Uber for Tractors, Ghana – Winner
2. Ken Njoroge, Co-founder & Group CEO, Cellulant Corporation, Kenya – Runner-up
