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The 100 Most Influential Africans of 2024 announced

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2 years ago

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Influential Africans

The list reflects the shifting trends and priorities in Africa, as the continent faces new challenges and opportunities

LONDON, United Kingdom, December 27, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The London-based New African magazine (www.NewAfricanMagazine.com) today released its highly anticipated annual listing of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2024. 

The list celebrates the achievements and contributions of Africans from various fields and sectors who have made a positive impact on the continent and the world over the past year.

One of New African’s readers likened the Most Influential Africans feature to a ‘large family get-together, where we come together at the end of the year and share their various achievements throughout the year.’

Anver Versi, Editor of New African commented  “I had never thought of our 100 Most Influential Africans (MIA) feature in quite that way but now I think our friend has really nailed it and given it a special African flavour, the Ubuntu motto – I am because we are. We need this because I cannot recall the world being so polarised, so divided, so stone-faced in the face of terrible man-made atrocities.”

Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change: Africa at the forefront

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominating the technology headlines this year, the Science and Academia section is replete with a number of African experts deeply involved in the subject. 

While the technology can bring numerous opportunities to tackle some of the endemic issues, it is not without its pitfalls. Ethiopian-born, Abeba Birhane, conducted research that revealed how large-scale image datasets commonly used to develop AI systems contained racist and misogynistic labels as well as offensive images. Also addressing the ethical concerns around AI and inherent biases in the algorithm are fellow experts Rediet Abebe and Joy Buolamwini.

Climate Change remains a pressing issue, and Africa’s leaders, from Public Office to Business to Civil Society are fully engaged in tackling this vital concern.

For example, Senegalese Ibrahima Cheikh Diong entered the list after taking on the role of executive director for the newly formed Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which will have a direct impact on how developing nations will be able to respond to the worst effect of the climate crisis.

Michael Kakande was also nominated for being a fierce campaigner for climate justice and facilitating the participation of Africa’s youth in the global conversation.

A defining year for Development Finance Institutions

This year was in many ways a defining year for Development Financial Institutions, exemplified by the sheer number of entries in the Business section of the list. Dr Sidi Ould Tah from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Samaila Zubairu from the Africa Finance Corporation, Thierno-Habib Hann of Shelter Afrique, Akinwumi Adesina and Hassatou Diop N’Sele from the African Development Bank, Prof Benedict Oramah from the African Export-Import Bank, Alain Ebobissé from Africa50 and Manuel Moses from African Trade & Investment Development Insurance, all feature.

Olympic Glory: Celebrating Africa’s sports heroes

In the year of the Paris Olympics, there is a special salute to the Olympic medallists in our sports category. Letsile Tebogo, who stole the show at the 200m final to bring Botswana its first Gold medal; Sifan Hassan, who became the first female athlete to win medals in the 5K, 10K and Marathon (Olympic Record) events in the same game; and also Imane Khelif, who’s gold medal was a victory not just in boxing but also racial prejudice.

We need this because I cannot recall the world being so polarised, so divided, so stone-faced in the face of terrible man-made atrocities

The 100 Most Influential Africans of 2024 edition of New African offers an in-depth look at the lives and achievements of the extraordinary individuals shaping the African narrative on the continent and abroad. Their stories serve as a source of inspiration and a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the African spirit.

See below the list in full or visit https://apo-opa.co/4iVuMqk

The 100 Most Influential Africans 2024 List

Politics and Public Service

  • Bassirou Diomaye Faye
  • Kemi Badenoch
  • Muhammad Ali Pate
  • Claver Gatete
  • Ali Mohamed
  • King Mohamed VI
  • Ronald Lamola
  • Yemi Osinbajo
  • Nardos Bekele-Thomas
  • Ibrahima Cheikh Diong

Business

  • Robins Tchale-Watchou
  • Fatima Tambajang
  • Dr Sidi Ould Tah
  • Samaila Zubairu
  • Thierno-Habib Hann
  • Akinwumi Adesina
  • Tariye Gbadegesin
  • Adebayo Ogunlesi
  • Wale Tinubu
  • Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede
  • Prof Benedict Okey Oramah
  • Moulay Hafid Elalamy
  • Olugbenga Agboola
  • Alain Ebobissé
  • Tunde Olanrewaju
  • Nassef Sawiris
  • Aliko Dangote
  • Ismael Belkhayat
  • Hassatou Diop N’sele
  • Jeremy Awori
  • Manuel Moses
  • Hassanein Hiridjee
  • Rene Awambeng

Civil Society

  • Joseph Moses Oleshangay
  • Mohamed Adow
  • Michael Kakande
  • Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
  • William Asiko
  • Eva Omaghomi
  • Nelson Amenya
  • Helmy Abouleish
  • Binaifer Nowrojee

Science & Academia

  • Elhadj As Sy
  • Chinasa T. Okolo
  • Tshilidzi Marwala
  • Prof Colleen Masimirembwa
  • Prof Moses Obimbo Madadi
  • Rediet Abebe
  • Rachid Guerraoui
  • Abdoulaye Diabaté
  • Joy Buolamwini
  • Abeba Birhane

Opinion Shapers

  • Miatta Fahnbulleh
  • Olajide Olatunji
  • Carlos Lopes
  • Zain Verjee
  • John-Allan Namu
  • Vera Songwe
  • Nesrine Malik
  • Tayo Aina
  • Thebe Ikalafeng
  • Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi
  • Hannah Ryder
  • Ayman Mohyeldin
  • Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard

Creative

  • Zineb Sedira
  • Rita Mawuena Benissan
  • Iansmith Mwenda
  • Idris Elba
  • Ken Wakia
  • Adejoké Bakare
  • Ayra Starr
  • Selma Feriani
  • DJ Edu
  • Eugene Mbugua
  • Chigozie Obioma
  • Kamel Daoud
  • Tesfaye Urgessa
  • Mehdi Qotbi
  • DBN Gogo
  • Yinka Ilori Amina
  • Lola Shoneyin
  • Ekow Eshun
  • Zhong FeiFei
  • Mati Diop
  • Hassan Hajjaj
  • Koyo Kouoh
  • Mo Harawe
  • Victoria Kimani

Sports

  • Patrice Motsepe
  • Letsile Tebogo
  • Imane Khelif
  • Tunde Onakoya
  • Gelson Fernandes
  • Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane
  • Biniam Girmay
  • Ademola Lookman
  • Ruth Chepng’etich
  • Omar Berrada
  • Sifan Hassan

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of New African Magazine.

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Five Years After Expansion, Qianhai Opens a New Chapter in Institutional Opening-Up

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26 minutes ago

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September 1, 2026

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Hong Kong

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – September 6 marks the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (“Qianhai Plan”). Just days earlier, on August 26, Qianhai celebrated its 16th anniversary. Coming one after another, the two milestones provide a window through which to view the development of this 120.56-square-kilometer area. On August 20, the Authority of Qianhai announced that since its expansion in 2021, Qianhai’s regional GDP had risen from 175.57 billion yuan to 331.81 billion yuan, while total imports and exports had grown from 378.05 billion yuan to 757.43 billion yuan — both figures nearly doubling or more than doubling.
Behind these numbers is the sheer scale of institutional innovation. As a frontline of China’s opening-up, Qianhai has continued to introduce and refine policies, with 111 institutional innovation outcomes now replicated and promoted nationwide. The General Administration of Customs has introduced two rounds of dedicated support policies to address the challenges facing Qianhai’s development. Qianhai was the first in China to pilot a customs model featuring “direct access at the first line and smart connected supervision”, allowing goods to be directly released at the port, with declaration and inspection carried out after they arrive at the comprehensive bonded zone. The number of items required in customs declarations has also been reduced from dozens to just over ten.
 




 
The progress in Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation is even more visible. The number of Hong Kong-funded enterprises has grown from more than 8,000 in 2021 to over 11,000 today. Technology commercialization platforms established by five Hong Kong universities have successively begun operations in Qianhai, incubating 193 projects in total.

Gary Wong Chi-him, a Hong Kong resident working at the Qianhai Authority, has experienced these changes firsthand. He said that more and more people from Hong Kong have been coming to Qianhai over the past five years. “There’s a saying in Shenzhen: once you come, you’re a Shenzhener. I felt that sense of belonging from my very first day,” he said. “Qianhai has created an environment where Hong Kong and Shenzhen are deeply intertwined. Even while living and working in Qianhai, you can still feel the atmosphere of Hong Kong, so I had no difficulty settling in.”

Jacqueline Ho, CEO of Hong Kong-funded sci-tech innovation company Synovate Technologies, said the company set up at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub in 2019 and has benefited from its ongoing talent recruitment services. “Qianhai has helped us connect with upstream and downstream partners such as Siemens, allowing us to establish a foothold in the hard-tech sector in a short time,” she said. The company has obtained around 50 independent intellectual property rights to date and was named to the Forbes China Emerging Tech T30&30 Selection this year. Qianhai is now home to 532 key AI enterprises, including SmartMore Information Technology, Pony.ai and Fengyi Technology, among a growing group of companies that have established and expanded their businesses here.

For Lin Zhifeng, General Manager of China (Qianhai) Internet Exchange, the most notable sign of Qianhai’s growing international reach was the establishment of the China Center for Promoting APEC Data Cross-Border Flow Cooperation at the end of July. The center he works is the only national-level Internet exchange center in South China. In the five years since its establishment, it has served more than 270 enterprises. Its Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cross-Boundary Data Validation Platform has helped mainland SMEs secure more than HK$260 million in financing in Hong Kong. Its secure and convenient cross-border data channel has benefited more than 300,000 Hong Kong residents, making it easier for them to transfer medical records across the border after receiving treatment in Shenzhen.

Five years into its expansion, Qianhai has gradually established a clearer path toward institutional opening-up. Every breakthrough reflects the same underlying approach: turning institutional differences into new opportunities created by opening-up, and translating the alignment of rules from paper into practice. “Qianhai, Pulse with the World” is more than a city slogan; it is a vivid testament to the five years of reform and opening-up in this dynamic part of Shenzhen.

  




 

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Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan) Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Strengthen Pakistan’s Export Sector

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55 minutes ago

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September 1, 2026

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ICIEC

Through the agreement, ICIEC will provide reinsurance support for eligible export transactions, helping enhance risk-sharing capacity, facilitate access to credit, and enable Pakistani businesses, including SMEs, to pursue opportunities in regional and international markets with greater confidence

 




 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, August 31, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (https://ICIEC.IsDB.org/), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, has signed a Reinsurance Agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan), marking another milestone in the partnership between the two institutions.

This agreement marks an important step in strengthening Pakistan’s export ecosystem

Signed during ICIEC’s mission to Pakistan, the agreement will strengthen Pakistan EXIM’s risk-mitigation capacity and expand its ability to support Pakistani exporters through export credit insurance solutions.

Through the agreement, ICIEC will provide reinsurance support for eligible export transactions, helping enhance risk-sharing capacity, facilitate access to credit, and enable Pakistani businesses, including SMEs, to pursue opportunities in regional and international markets with greater confidence.

Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Chief Executive Officer of ICIEC, said: “This agreement marks an important step in strengthening Pakistan’s export ecosystem. By combining ICIEC’s reinsurance capacity with EXIM Bank of Pakistan’s local expertise, we can expand the protection available to exporters, enhance their access to finance, and help Pakistani businesses, particularly SMEs, compete more confidently in regional and global markets. It also reflects our commitment to working with national export credit institutions to unlock new trade opportunities and support sustainable economic growth across our Member States.”

The agreement further reinforces the long-standing cooperation between ICIEC and Pakistan and reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to expanding the availability of effective risk-mitigation solutions for the country’s exporters. ICIEC looks forward to building on this partnership with EXIM Bank of Pakistan and supporting the continued development of Pakistan’s export sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).

 

 




 

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Afreximbank strengthens regional leadership with new appointments across Africa and the Caribbean

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57 minutes ago

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September 1, 2026

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These appointments are integral to Afreximbank’s growth ambitions and its efforts to accelerate intra-African trade, industrialisation and regional integration

CAIRO, Egypt, August 31, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has announced senior leadership appointments and confirmations to strengthen regional operations, deepen client engagement, and enhance delivery of the Bank’s mandate across Africa and the Caribbean.
 




 

These appointments are integral to Afreximbank’s growth ambitions and its efforts to accelerate intra-African trade, industrialisation and regional integration. By strengthening leadership across its regional platforms, the Bank is positioning itself to expand market coverage, improve transaction execution and deepen engagement with clients and stakeholders across Africa and the Caribbean.

Mr. Eric Intong Monchu has been appointed as Group Managing Director, Client Relations and Regional Operations, based in Cairo, Egypt, after serving in the role in an acting capacity. In this position, he will lead the Bank’s client relations and regional operations functions, strengthening coordination between business development, client coverage, and transaction execution.

Mr. Kudakwashe Matereke has been appointed Director, Regional Operations, Anglophone West Africa, based in Abuja, Nigeria. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Director, Regional Operations, East Africa. Mr Matereke brings extensive experience in trade finance, business development, and client relationship management, and will lead regional business development, client coverage, and stakeholder engagement.

Each appointee brings valuable experience and deep knowledge of African and Caribbean markets

Mr. Humphrey Nwugo has been appointed Director, Regional Operations, Eastern Africa, based in Kampala, Uganda, following a similar regional operations role in Southern Africa. He brings extensive experience in banking operations, syndications, corporate finance, and regional execution, and will oversee the Bank’s regional operations, market coverage, and client engagement in Eastern Africa.

Mr. Peter Adeshola Olowononi has been appointed Director, Regional Operations, Southern Africa, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Prior to his appointment, he served as Director, Client Relations, Anglophone West Africa. Mr. Olowononi brings extensive experience in client coverage, transaction origination, and regional business development, and will lead the Bank’s operations and strategic engagement across Southern Africa.

Mr. Roy Reid has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, Caribbean Office, in Bridgetown, Barbados, effective 15 July 2026. Prior to his appointment, he served as Senior Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Mr Reid brings more than 20 years of experience across government advisory, financial services, investment management, fintech, and business development, and will support the Bank’s operations, regional coordination, and stakeholder engagement across the Caribbean.

Collectively, the appointments strengthen the links between client coverage, regional operations and transaction execution. With most of the appointees progressing from within the Bank, they bring strong institutional knowledge, established client relationships and a clear understanding of Afreximbank’s strategic priorities. This continuity will support faster execution, greater responsiveness to market needs, and delivery of the Bank’s growth, trade, and development targets across Africa and the Caribbean.

Speaking on the appointments, Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Afreximbank, stated: “These appointments highlight the depth of leadership and professional talent within Afreximbank, as well as our commitment to placing experienced executives at the centre of executing the Bank’s development mandate: a mandate to change the structure of African trade. Each appointee brings valuable experience and deep knowledge of African and Caribbean markets. Above all, each shares a strong belief in the Bank’s founding philosophy that Africa’s development destiny lies with Africans and that our collective mission is to restore the dignity of the African.”

The Board of Directors, management and staff of Afreximbank extend their congratulations to Mr Intong Monchu, Mr. Matereke, Mr. Nwugo, Mr. Olowononi and Mr. Reid on their appointments and wish them success in their respective roles.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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