English News

Nominations for African of the Year


- 16 Septembre 2016



Nominations for African of the Year close on September 30, 2016
The opportunity for nominating candidates for the African of the Year 
2016 award, which is promoted by Media Trust Limited in Nigeria, will 
end in on Friday, September 30, 2016, barely two weeks for now.
Media Trust Limited, with headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, are the 
publishers of the Daily Trust newspapers, one of Nigeria’s leading 
independent newspaper. The newspaper promotes the African of the Year 
award in fulfillment of its commitment to African unity and sustainable 
development across the continent.

Other publications by the Daily Trust include Aminiya, a Hausa Language 
newspaper, and Kilimanjaro, a magazine that covers the African continent 
.
The African of the year award was initiated in 2008 to recognize and 
reward, exemplary Africans for their extraordinary contributions to 
human development in any part of the continent, and in any sphere of 
human endeavour.

Candidates for the award are shortlisted from a pool of nominees whose 
profiles and records of contribution have gone through a rigorous 
process of screening.

The award consists of three components, namely, a permanent plaque, a 
certificate of merit and a US$50,0000 cash reward in aid of the 
awardees’ charity project. The eventual winner is selected by a 
seven-member prize committee chaired by Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former 
Prime Minister of Tanzania and ex-scribe of the Organization of African 
Unity (now African Union).

Other members of the Committee who represent Africa's regional blocs 
are: Ambassador Mona Omar (North Africa), Mr. Amadou Mahtar Ba (West 
Africa), Ms. Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), Mr. Pascal Kambale (Central 
Africa) and Professor Sylvia Tamale (East Africa). The Chairman of the 
Board of DAILY TRUST, Mr. Kabiru Yusuf represents the award promoters.
Now in its 8th edition, the maiden award for 2008 went to Dr Denis 
Mukwege, a Congolese Gynaecologist, and humanitarian surgeon. This was 
in recognition of his risky advocacy against the prevalent use of mass 
rape as a weapon of war in Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, and his 
offer of free reconstructive gynaecological surgeries to rape victims in 
the war-torn central African country.

The subsequent awards have been won by the late Dr. Tajudeen Abdulraheem 
(2009), Mr. Danny Jordan (2010), Judge Mrs. Fatimata Bazeye (2011), Mr. 
Thabo Mbeki (2012) and Dr. Donald Kaberuka (2013). The 2014 award was 
skipped owing to the prevalence of Ebola disease in parts of Africa 
while Mr. Gregoire Ahongbonon emerged winner of the 2015 award.
Some of the distinguished personalities who had served on the Prize 
Committee chaired by Dr. Salim are: Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily, Prof. 
Tandeka Nkiwane, Ms. Muthoni Wanyeki, Prof. Okello Oculi, Dr. Obadiah 
Mailafia, Prof. Kwame Karikari, and the late Dr. Tajudeen Abdulraheem.

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