Bola Tinubu and Dr Dimie Ogoina have been named in Time Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2023.
Dr Ogoina, a Nigerian professor of epidemiology was named among the 100 most influential people for 2023 for his impact on Mpox containment.
Time Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world which came out on Thursday accords recognition to people “for changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions”.
Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect in the February 25, 2023 election and is expected to be sworn in on May 29.
According to the magazine, “Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare. Called Jagaban, or “leader of the warriors,” by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, “It’s my turn,” was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.
But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress Party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.
“Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy. But the President-elect seems aware of his inheritance: “[Nigeria] is one country and we must build it together,” he said in his acceptance speech.”
Tinubu, the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election, is named alongside Joe Biden, president of the US and others in the “leader” category.
Also, Ogoina who was named under innovators in the magazine, sounded the alarm on a new presentation of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) that he was seeing in his home country of Nigeria, the world wasn’t ready to listen.
“Recognizing the importance and potential implications for global spread, he persisted, documenting the potential for sexual transmission of Mpox and publishing the data in high-impact scientific journals. As the global Mpox outbreak unfolded in 2022, Dimie’s insights became critically important to developing better strategies to prevent and control outbreaks.”
Rimoin is a professor of epidemiology at UCLA and has been studying Mpox and other emerging diseases in Central Africa for two decades.
El Anatsui, a Ghanaian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria; Lionel Messi, CEO TikTok, Shou Zi Chew were also among the list.
