By Yinka Akanbi
Grammy Award winner, Burna Boy’s achievements in drawing global attention to the Afrobeats has yet again gained global recognition as Africa’s creative talents hold centre stage in New African magazine’s 100 Most Influential Africans (MIA) listing.
The listing celebrates the achievements of the 100 Africans – including writers, singers, actors, designers, editors, journalists, chefs and even Tiktokers – whose lives and work have created far reaching ripples within the continent and abroad.
The annual listing, which appears in this year’s Christmas (December/January) issue of Africa’s longest established and the world’s most widely read pan-African periodical in English, is highly anticipated and hotly discussed by readers in Africa, the US and Europe.
In his introduction to the listing, the Editor of New African magazine, Anver Versi, says that in addition to the many easily recognised names, “there are many others who are working away diligently and ceaselessly but away from the public eye. Some are making far-reaching changes at the grassroots, some are beavering away in laboratories or obscure sites – their influence is understated and yet fundamental to our progress.”
An entry in the MIA listing is considered a major stamp of approval for achievement. While the list contains some names that have appeared before, the editor, Anver Versi, notes that it “is a tribute to their staying power that year on year, they do not rest on their laurels but continue with fresh impetus to do more for more people in more areas.”
There is nonetheless a fresh and exciting crop of fresh achievers making their name in the listings for the first time.
This year’s listing, as previous listings have done, reflects the changing emphasis and priorities on the continent. As normal life begins to reassert itself after the Covid ravages, Africa’s entrepreneurs, innovators, social and environmental activists, scientists and opinion shapers make a strong comeback into the ranks.
