Forbes has named Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Africa Person of the Year 2020.
Forbes Africa tweeted on Tuesday, Dec 1: “The 2020 #AfricanOftheYear Award honoree is…Congratulations to Dr. @NOlweala! Board Chair @Gavi; Board Chair @ARCapicity, gracing the cover of @forbesafrica.”
Reacting, Okonjo-Iweala, who is set to become the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organisation in its 25-year history, said she is thrilled.
She tweeted, “Thrilled to be named Forbes Africa-CNBC ‘2020 African of the Year’ following in the footsteps of my great brothers Paul Kagame and Akin Adesina.”
In 2019, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), won the award for his outstanding work at the bank and a sterling career in agriculture and finance.
Paul Kagame of Rwanda won the same award in 2018.
Other eminent Nigerians to have bagged the award are former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Muhammad Sanusi II (2011) and Aliko Dangote (2014).
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
