Ghana’s ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has been named in The Africa Report’s inaugural ranking of the top Africans who control the levers of power across politics, business and the arts: from billionaire barons to unpredictable peacemakers and soft-power superstars.
Top on the list is Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man. Anas placed 25th on the chart. Below is the list from 21 to 30.
21 – Mo Ibrahim
Truth teller
Sudan
Through the four pillars of his foundation – a prize, an event, a report and fellowships – the Sudanese businessman-turned-philanthropist keeps people thinking about governance on the continent. The Mo Ibrahim Index, now in its 13th year, parlays more than a decade’s worth of data on governance in Africa into specific and practical recommendations for African leaders. He is working hard to raise a commotion about the climate, democratic and technological changes about to hit the continent.
@Mo_IbrahimFdn
Did you know? For many businesses in #Africa, it is often easier to employ a skilled non-African expatriate than a skilled African expatriate. What can businesses & governments do to create environments where African citizens can thrive? #AfricanMigrationshttp://mif.media/fr-2019 127:15 AM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy
@idriselba
@pressfreedomOn #WorldPressFreedomDay, we remember Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela, broadcast reporter for @tigereyefound Private Investigations, who was killed in #Accra, Ghana, on January 16, 2019. #WPFD2019 #RememberingFallenJournalists @anasglobal https://cpj.org/data/people/ahmed-hussein-suale-divela/index.php …2081:35 PM – May 3, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy35 people are talking about this
26 – James Mwangi
Sharp-eyed
Kenya
By spotting potential at the bottom of Kenya’s economic pyramid, Mwangi has taken Equity Bank from bit-player to market maker in the thriving financial sector. Not stopping there, Mwangi used this momentum to turn Equity Bank into a leading player in the mobile-money space, as well as expanding into regional markets, like South Sudan and the DRC, becoming Kenya’s most international bank in the process.
27 – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
World Banker
Nigeria
The Harvard-educated development economist had a ‘super-minister’ role under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan when it rolled out crucial reforms of the power sector and introduced legislation to support local companies in breaking into the value chains of the oil and natural gas sector. But Jonathan’s government was also infamous for the graft and opaque deals that took place at the time. Her time in government gave her enough material to write a book about corruption, and that is what she did, calling it Reforming the Unreformable. Okonjo-Iweala remains a booster of good governance, arguing that countries need to improve the way that they handle and spend money before committing more money to, say, a big new drive to improve healthcare. The former Nigerian finance minister is currently the board chair of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) and was appointed to Twitter’s board of directors in January.
@NOIweala
Gavi participates in PATHBREAKING LAUNCH in Tokyo! A world first in biometric fingerprint identification and authentication for children under five! In partnership with NEC of Japan and Simprints of the UK. pic.twitter.com/OOvIP9YBsz903:13 PM – Jun 6, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy27 people are talking about this
28 – Patrice Motsepe
Mining money
South Africa
The billionaire magnate founded diversified miner African Rainbow Minerals, which is in the market for new copper mining opportunities. Motsepe is also pushing into finance with TymeBank – the country’s first fully digital bank – and into politics, pledging $250m towards furthering South Africa’s land reform programme. The champion of black economic empowerment made the announcement at December’s Global Citizen Festival, which he hosted, where companies, governments and foundations pledged $7.5bn to end extreme poverty to the sounds of Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Wizkid (#18) et al. “We are coming together in unity as leaders and are committed to working together to ensure that the current land reform process will result in land with the requisite support and skills being made available to black people living in rural areas,” Motsepe explained.
29 – Mohamed Salah
Knight in white
Egypt
From his penalty that qualified Egypt for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years to his hat-trick that took Liverpool to the top of the Premier League, Salah brings delight every time he steps onto a football field. His goals have brought him a slew of awards and he has been immortalised in statues and street art, but Salah is loved not just for his prodigious footwork. He is socially engaged on and off the pitch: refusing to celebrate a goal against Chelsea out of respect to the victims of the Sinai mosque attack, he forced fans to think beyond rivalries, and he has given away millions to his home village, Basyoun, and more widely to fight poverty and drug addiction.
@MoSalah
Believe, work hard, and it’ll happen. pic.twitter.com/F11eKYgZgK409K2:48 AM – Jun 2, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy75.8K people are talking about this
30 – Olusegun Obasanjo
A-grade fixer
Nigeria
“OBJ” is Africa’s most famous backseat driver. The doyen of Nigerian politics has had an impact on every presidential election of the past 40 years and his blessing makes or breaks political careers. His choices defy party alliances: having backed the All Progressives Congress’ Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, in 2019 he switched to the People’s Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar – who was once his own vice-president. He is also one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen.
