Tinubu, Biden Make TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People List

Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been listed by the TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

TIME described Tinubu as a longtime political power broker, who helped Nigeria to restore democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule.

Tinubu along with United States president, Joe Biden, were among the 19 leaders on the TIME list.

The American news magazine listed the 100 world’s most influential people under six categories namely, Artists, Icons, Leaders, Pioneers, Titans and Innovators.

Writing about Tinubu, the magazine said, “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.”

…Nigerian Doctor, Ogoina, Also

A Nigerian medical doctor, Dr Dimie Ogoina, is also on TIME magazine’s 2023 list of Most Influential People.

In 2017, when Dr. Ogoina 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. Recognising 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, Ogoina’s insights became critically important to developing better strategies to prevent and control outbreaks.

Ogoina is also a passionate champion for global health equity. He has often made the point that Mpox is not a new disease and that had the world paid attention sooner, we could have avoided a global outbreak. It is this drive that has led Dimie to make significant contributions to the field through his advocacy, leadership, and research.