DAILY TRUST is receiving nominations for 2015 African of the Year. The annual award is for Africans who have distinguished themselves in their various walks of life and/or do charity projects in their immediate communities that are of positive impact to the people.
A leading pan-African commercial bank, UBA Plc presents US$50,000 prize for the winner.
The nominee should be an ordinary African who made extra-ordinary contributions to human development in any part of the continent this year.
Method of nomination
Nominations can be made online via www.dailytrust.com.ng/award. closing date is September 30, 2015.
The winner will be selected by a seven-member Advisory Board/Prize Committee chaired by Dr. Salim A. Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania and ex-Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, OAU (now African Union, AU).
Some of the distinguished personalities who have 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.
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), Professor Sylvia Tamale (East Africa) and representative of UBA Plc, the co-sponsor of the award. The Chairman/CEO of Daily Trust, Mr. Kabiru Yusuf represents the award promoters.
The African of the Year Award was inaugurated in 2008 by DAILY TRUST in partial fulfillment of the company's avowed commitment to promoting African unity and sustainable development across the continent.
The maiden award was presented to a Congolese gynecologist, Dr. Denis Mukwege in recognition of his exemplary humanitarian offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.
The subsequent awards were 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 did not hold owing to the ravaging Ebola disease in parts of Africa that time.
Signed:
Aliu Akoshile
Associate Director, Business
Daily Trust
Abuja, Nigeria