Following the call for nominations which ended recently and attracted submissions from Africans across the continent and in Diaspora, the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) is pleased to unveil a shortlist of nominees for the 12th African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year 2023. Subsequently, public voting is now open and the general public is therefore invited to visit the ALM website (www.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk) to vote for their choice nominees on the different categories in the ALM Persons of the Year (POTY) Awards 2023 polls, as the voting closes on Thursday, 14 December 2023, at midnight (CAT).

The ALM Persons of the Year Awards is Africa’s premier vote-based endorsement, reserved annually for the leading Africans who are contributing towards promoting the continent’s progress, and positively altering Africa’s perceived negative image. It has a 2-step selection process, which provides a unique opportunity for Africans from all over the world to be part of the process of selecting winners for the various categories of the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards. The call for nomination sets the stage for the series of activities that culminate in the gathering of Africa’s finest leaders from all walks of life; while the second step is a call for voting for the nominees in an online poll.

The nominees for the 2023 edition of the ALM Persons of the Year Awards are leaders from diverse spheres of society who have shown resilience, ingenuity and resourcefulness in the year under review and beyond, with remarkable achievements and commitment to harnessing untapped potentials, leveraging knowledge, skills, and home-grown innovative solutions to Africa’s development challenges, as well as contributing towards building more resilient African economies, creating wealth and prosperity for the African people.

Based on the results of the online poll, the winners of the ALM Persons of the Year Awards for the year 2023 will be announced and invited to a formal presentation of the awards and other instruments of the honour during the ALM Persons of the Year Awards Ceremony 2024, which is scheduled to hold on February 22 – 23, 2024 at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a country that occupies a strategic position as the headquarters of the African Union (AU). The event will be held in partnership with the Ethiopian Customs Commission (ECC), with the theme-Building Resilient African Economies.

The ALM Persons of the Year (POTY) awards presentation ceremony is a flagship annual event of the African Leadership Magazine, which has been held consecutively over the past 12 years, convening policymakers, private sector leaders, civil society leaders, thought leaders and all stakeholders from across Africa and the rest of the world to discuss issues bothering on Africa’s socio-economic growth and development. The event has also become a prestigious platform for honouring people-centred leadership and Africans who are pursuing a pan-African agenda in their chosen fields of endeavour. 

The ALM POTY 2024 nominees are in the 10 categories (see below).

African of the Year

This recognition is for an African whose actions have positively impacted the continent in the year under review, helped shape their immediate society, and whose work inspires Afro-positivism globally.

• H.E. William Ruto, President of Kenya
• H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia
• Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, President, Afrexim Bank

African Female Leader of the Year

This recognition is open to an African woman who has defied the odds and risen above the patriarchal systems in the continent to positively affect the continent or influence women to aspire for excellence in various fields.

• H.E. Mariam Chabi Talata, Vice President of Benin
• Martha Karambu Koome, Chief Justice of Kenya
• Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, UNAIDS
• Nonkululeko Nyembezi, Chairman, Standard Bank Group, South Africa
• Naseem Lahri, Managing Director, Lucara Diamonds, Botswana

African Educationist of the Year

This recognition is for an African whose contribution to the growth of education, and deepening knowledge has been second to none in the year under review. It is also reserved for a member of the academic whose research or policy has contributed to shaping their country’s economic growth and development.

• Matsie Angelina Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education, South Africa
• Prof. Olufemi A. Peters, Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria
• Prof. George Openjuru, Vice Chancellor, Gulu University, Uganda
• Prof. Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, Vice-Chancellor, University of Media, Arts and Communication, Ghana.

African Political Leader of the Year

This recognition is open to an African, whose contribution has immensely contributed to deepening democracy and democratic values in the continent.

• H.E. Samia Saluhu, President of Tanzania
• H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of Morocco
• H.E. George Weah, President of Liberia

African Peace & Security Leader of the Year

Criteria: This recognition is open to defence and security heads across the continent, with visible strides in protecting lives and property in their countries and the larger society. Nominees are also expected to subscribe to high standards of personal accountability in pursuing their vision.

• H.E. Adama Barrow, President of The Gambia
• H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania
• Kwame Asuah Takyi, Comptroller-General, Ghana Immigration Service

African Industrialist of the Year

This recognition is for an African whose actions, policies, and business have helped create jobs for Africans in the year under review.

• Said Salim Bakhresa, Founder & Chairman, Bakhresa Group, Tanzania
• Mostafa Terrab, Chairman/CEO, OCP Group, Morocco
• Patrick Bitature, Founder & Chairman, Simba Group, Uganda
• Alhaji Musbahu Bashir, Chairman, Althani Group of Companies, Nigeria
• António Mosquito MBakassy, Founder & Chairman, GAM Group, Angola

African Philanthropist of the Year

This recognition is open to an African who has given more to support a charitable cause, social justice and promote social good.

• Ibrahim Mahama, Founder, Engineers and Planners, Ghana
• Ahmed Abou Hashima, Founder, Egyptian Steel
• Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Cofounder & CEO, Motsepe Foundation
• Tein T.S Jack-Rich, Founder & President, Belemaoil Producing Limited, Nigeria

Young African Leader of the Year

Criteria: Must be between the ages of 18-45; Young persons of African descent, making a difference globally via diverse sectors such as business, IT, entertainment, sports, etc., remaining a positive role model and re-defining creativity, resilience; hard work and ingenuity of the continent’s young people.

• Salamu Amadu, Chairman, Afro-Arab Group, Ghana
• Jesca Nkwabi, CEO, KOM Group, Tanzania
• Akol Ayii, Founder & Chairman, Founder and Chairman of Trinity Group
• Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO & Co-founder, Moniepoint Nigeria

African Public Sector Leader of the Year

This recognition is open to Heads of Government institutions that combine political leadership presence with a technocratic approach, exemplifying excellence, integrity and transparency to address the needs of the populace, as well as drive change, policy innovation, extraordinary value and exceptional leadership.

• Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigeria
• Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, CEO, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Ghana
• Ernest Rubondo, Executive Director, Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU)
• Saptieu Elizabeth Saccoh, Administrator & Registrar-General of Sierra Leone
• Ella Mokgalane, CEO, South African Council For Educators

African Public Health Leader of the Year

This award is for an African who is making outstanding contributions to public health in Africa, by protecting and promoting the well-being of the people of Africa and building strong healthcare systems and infrastructures at the community and national levels.

• The Hon. Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness, Mauritius
• Matshidiso Moeti, Director, WHO Regional Office for Africa
• H.E. Dr. Khalid Atef Abdul Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, Egypt
• H.E. Dr. Ali Mrabet, Minister of Health, Tunisia

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of African Leadership Magazine

About African Leadership Magazine

The African Leadership Magazine is the flagship publication of the African Leadership Organisation (UK) Limited, which has committed the last 16 years to promoting impactful leadership on the continent and promoting African opportunities globally through an ecosystem of quality Afro-positive content, Africa trade facilitation and market entry solutions, Afro-centric communities and business networking platforms, as well as through public sector training and consulting.