The list is out! Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, lead the nominees for The
Future Awards Africa 2015 – See the full list
The Central Working Committee for Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) has unveiled the anticipated list of the 50 young Africans who are the nominees for the 2015 season – with nominees from 11 countries across Africa. This season, superstars Trevor Noah (South Africa) and Yemi Alade (Nigeria) have been shortlisted alongside change makers such as Botswansian Queen Baboloki and Segawa Patrick (Uganda).
The nominees were announced on 22nd November, 2015 in a continent-wide broadcast on EbonyLife TV. “The wait is finally over,” said Bukonla Adebakin who is project manager for the awards. “After a one year cycle finding the brightest and the best young leaders across Africa, we are excited to present the Class of 2015, with inspiring stories and models that will change our continent.”
This year’s nominees, following an open call for nominations, come from across Kenya, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Cameroon. The nominees are presently undergoing the rigorous judging process supervised by a jury including the Board of Judges and an Independent Audit Committee.
The jury comprises distinguished Africans including Katja Schiller Nwator (Leadership Development and CSR Manager, The Tony Elumelu Foundation), Mahamadou Sy (Founder and Executive Director of the
Institut Supérieur de Développement Local (ISDL), Senegal), Wendy Luhabe (Founder, Women’s Private Equity Fund), Tonye Cole (Executive Director, Sahara Group), Ndidi Nwuneli (Founder, LEAP Africa), Mo Abudu (CEO, Ebony Life TV), and JennahScott (Director, Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat, Office of the President.
Past winners and honorees Don Jazzy, Asa, Diamond Platinumz, Tara Fela Durotoye, SanguDelle, Oramait Alengot,Patrick Ngowi, Nnaemeka Ikeguonu, Foglabenchi Lily Haritu and Ndidi Nwuneli have been named ambassadors of this year’s event – representing a decade of growth, change and impact as TFAA marks 10 years of celebrating young Africans who through innovation, creativity, governance, citizenship and enterprise.
Meet The Future Awards Africa Class of 2015:
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Advocacy & Activism
1. Anoziva Marindire (Zimbabwe)
2. Olumayowa Okediran (Nigeria)
3. Segawa Patrick (Uganda)
4. Sakar Uchechukwu (Nigeria)
5. Queen Baboloki (Botswana)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Education
1. Josephine Marie Goodwill (Ghana)
2. Abena Agyemang (Ghana)
3. Cynthia Onwuchuruba (Nigeria)
4. Lily Kudzro (Ghana)
5. Maccathy Lomotey (Ghana)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Enterprise Support
1. Clarisse Iribagize. (Rwanda)
2. Enow Awah Georges Stevens (Ghana)
3. Olufunbi Falayi (Nigeria)
4. Catherine Mahugu (Kenya)
5. Venuste Kubwimana (Kenya)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Community Action
1. Edmund Duodu Antwerp (Ghana)
2. Kelvin Mutize (Zimbabwe)
3. Elijah Amoo Addy (Ghana)
4. Felix Richard Manyogote (Tanzania)
5. Daniel Nii Adom Oodnkor (Ghana)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Technology
1. Rasheeda Mandeeya Yehuza (Ghana)
2. Joshua Ihejiamaizu (Nigeria)
3. Abiola Olaniyan (Nigeria)
4. Duran De Villiers (South Africa)
5. Arthur Zang (Cameroon)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Entertainment
1. Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
2. Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania)
3. Refiloe Maele “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo (South Africa)
4. Olamide “Badoo” Ayodeji (Nigeria)
5. Anne Kansiime (Uganda)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Agriculture
1. Witness Sanga (Tanzania)
2. David Asiamah (Ghana)
3. Fanka A. Yenah (Cameroon)
4. Momarr Mass Taal (Gambia)
5. Lawrence Afere (Nigeria)
The Tony O. Elumelu Prize in Business
1. Samuel Malinga (Uganda)
2. Kasope Ladipo-Ajai (Nigeria)
3. Evans Wadongo (Kenya)
4. Titus Mawano (Uganda)
5. Ali-shah Jivraj (Uganda)
The Future Awards Africa Prize in Public Service
1. Nkechi Okwuone (Nigeria)
2. Obiefule Iroabueke (Nigeria)
3. Emmanuel N. B. Flomo (Liberia)
4. Lefatshe Anna Moagi (South Africa)
5. Sakaja Johnson (Kenya)
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year
1 Adesoji Solanke (Nigeria)
2 Teresa Mbagaya (Kenya)
3. Barclay Okari (Kenya)
4 Philip Obaji Jnr. (Nigeria)
5 Trevor Noah (South Africa)
The Future Awards Africa 2015 is powered by RED and held in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Microsoft, the US Consulate, the Canadian High Commission Nigeria and The Tony Elumelu Foundation. The event will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, 6 December, 2015.
Profiles of all the nominees are now available on awards.yafri.ca.
Illustrations by Comic Republic, a comic start up passionate about youth empowerment through comics. Read their comics free on www.thecomicrepublic.com
About The Future Awards Africa
The Future Awards Africa has been called the ‘Nobel Prize for Young Africans’, and the ‘most important youth awards’ by Forbes. It is a set of prizes given annually to celebrate and accelerate innovation, creativity and enterprise amongst young Africans aged 18 – 31. It has produced over 150 winners and over 1550 nominees since its first edition in 2006.
It is presented in conjunction with The Future Project, which has a mandate to build empowered citizens across Africa, through (inclusive) enterprise and (active) citizenship. This focus on Human Capital Development is informed by our value proposition: Africa’s growth needs a generation of young people who are gainfully employed and able to demand and secure better leadership.
Our projects include Aiki.ng, an employability portal presented with Microsoft; the Nigeria Symposium for Young & Emerging Leaders, #StartupsAfrica, Intern4Jobs, The m-Hub, The Future Enterprise Support Scheme and The Future Africa Awards & Summit, described as ‘The Nobel Prize for Young Africans’.
With a network of funders and partners including the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Ford Foundation, the US Government, First Bank, MTN, The Canadian Embassy, HP, the Nigerian Government and the British Council, our work has spanned Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Malawi, Cameroon, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and Kenya.
Founded by the Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams, TFP is supervised by a Global Board of Advisors drawn from Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East, including the Senior Advisor at one of the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firms, Lazard LTD, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Senior Economic Advisor with the Open Society Foundations, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili; co-founder of ONE, Jamie Drummond and the Chief of Cabinet with the Africa Development Bank, Anne Kabagambe.
About Red Communication
Red Communication is a PR & Communication firm under the parent company, RED. An innovative media group focused on Africa, RED’s vision is to excite and empower an evolving generation through the media’s limitless possibilities. Built across tools and platforms, its Communication Division holds Red Communication, Red marketing and Small & Medium, and YouthConnect; and its Content Division holds the Y! brands, including Y! TV, Y! Magazine, YNaija.com, Teen Y!, Y! 2015, the Y! Tech 100 and the Y! Annual Black Ball/Y! 100 Most Influential List. It also anchors a development firm, The Future Project Africa, which co-presents Africa’s leading youth platform, The Future Awards Africa, and other projects
including the Nigeria Symposium for Young & Emerging Leaders and The Future Enterprise Support Scheme.