By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, a soccer icon Didier Drogba, an international businesswoman, Folorunsho Alakija, and 13 other prominent Africans have been selected to be conferred with Lifetime African Achievement Prize (LAAP).
The organiser said the award is the most renowned African honor with the highest reverence of leadership, humility and excellence associated to it.
A statement issued yesterday by the Personal Assistant to the foundation’s chairman, Nicholas Akuteye, said it considered in their selection process persons who had selflessly dedicated themselves and sacrificed to bring about a positive outlook to the lives of millions of Africans over the last decades.
While President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan would receive the Prize for Leadership, National Cohesion and Stability, His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, King of the
Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana, would be conferred with Traditional Governance in Africa honorary prize.
Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank Group will receive prize for Natio building and African leadership, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to get prize for humanitarian and equity, Jay Naidoo, Chair of the Partnership Council of the Global Alliance
for Improved Nutrition in South Africa will be honoured for democratic governance and development, Calestous Juma, World Acclaimed Biotechnologist at the Harvard
University, USA, will also get the prize for food security, and agro-processing development among others.
Some of the past beneficiaries included Lord Boateng of the British House of Lords, Isabel Dos
Santos of Angola, Katumbi Chapwe from Congo, Wole Soyinka, a famed poet and writer, Ismail Serageldine of the Alexandria Bibliotheca Museum in Egypt, and Mo Ibrahim of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
The foundation said this year’s Laureate recipients have together keenly set the agenda for transformational advancement of the continent to such great heights, thereby positioning Africa to compete toe-to-toe with its global partners.
The event is slated for October this year in Akwa Ibom state.
