In the latest shortlist for the Forbes Africa Person of the Year award, 3 Nigerians made it into the shortlist, the US based business website has announced.
In its Forbes Africa page, Forbes announced it had narrowed down its shortlist, dominated by Nigerians, for the 2013 Person of the Year Awards. The awards will take place in Nairobi, Kenya at the beginning of December.
An official voting is also open to the public who can make their selection of the individual they deem most worthy of the Person of the Year title.
The Person of the Year Awards celebrates ‘the individual who, for better or worse, has had the most influence on events of the year gone by’ and Forbes Africa has welcomed the participation of the public in what is fast becoming one of the most momentous and anticipated annual events in Africa.
“Every year, we are excited to decide the Forbes Africa Person of the Year. We want to honour the big hitters of the continent who are making a difference in people’s lives and we hope that in doing so, it will inspire others,” commented Chris Bishop, the managing editor of Forbes Africa magazine.
The shortlist, comprising three Nigerians, one South African and one Zimbabwean, is as follows:
| Name | Nationality | Post/Occupation | Remarks |
| Akinwunmi Adesina | Nigeria | Minister of Agriculture | His vision to make Nigeria a self-sustaining, food-producing nation and register 20 million farmers by 2015 has been roundly hailed in and around the continent. |
| Jim Ovia | Nigeria | Founder, Zenith Bank Plc | He established Zenith Bank Group in 1990 – now West Africa’s second largest financial services provider. His focus has turned to helping grow Africa’s budding ‘techpreneurs’. |
| Patrice Motsepe | South Africa | Mining Magnate | One of the continent’s richest men, Motsepe plans to give away more than half his fortune over the next 5 years. |
| Strive Masiyiwa | Zimbabwe | Telecom Magnate, Owner, Econet Wireless. | Masiyiwa, through his Capernaum Trust, educates tens of thousands of Zimbabwean orphans. |
| Aliko Dangote | Nigeria | Business Magnate | Africa’s richest man whose net worth has significantly increased, has on the back of his continued business success, bettered the lives of millions. |
