TheCable

Daily Trust newspaper says it has no winner for the 2021 African of the Year Award.

A “no winner” was declared after a selection committee for the award chaired by former Botswana President Festus Mogae held a meeting.

In a statement on Monday, Mogae said the African of the Year Award recognises ordinary Africans who have made extraordinary contributions to humanity in any field of endeavour.

The former president said owing to the “rigorous” criteria for the selection of a winner, no one was selected for the year 2021.

“Based on the rigorous criteria for the selection of the Award winner, the Award Committee could not grant the Award in 2021,” he said.

“The selection board held a virtual meeting on 17th December, 2021, during which it reviewed the credentials of eight Africans who made it to the final round of the selection process, and concluded that there was “no winner of the award for this year.

“The eight finalists were drawn from a total of 211 African men and women who were nominated for the coveted Daily Trust African of the year award, at the close of submissions for the 2021 Award at midnight of October 22, 2021.

“The call for nominations for the Award was opened on the 22nd of August, 2021.”

Members of the committee who represent Africa’s regional blocs are: Mona Omar (North Africa), Amadou Mahtar Ba (West Africa), Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), and Rigobert Minani Bihuzo (Central Africa). Kabiru Yusuf, the chairman of the board of Media Trust Limited, represents the award promoters.

Now in its 14th edition, the African of the Year Award was inaugurated in 2008 by Daily Trust in fulfilment of the newspaper’s commitment to African unity and sustainable development across the continent. With this annual award, the newspaper hopes to entrench the culture of selflessness among Africans with the aim of creating a pool of role-models for others to emulate.

The maiden award was presented to Denis Mukwege, Congolese gynaecologist, in recognition of his exemplary humanitarian offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 — 10 years after Daily Trust recognised his humanitarian gesture.

Last year’s award was won by Musu Bakoto Sawo, a Gambian changemaker and tireless women rights advocate, for her continuous commitment to ending violence against girls and women, including child marriage and female genital mutilation.