Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa came to a triumphant climax on Sunday when it held its annual ceremony, now in its 11th year.
We were introduced to the key players shaping the future in the 105 nominees identified across 21 categories. The event was well attended by Nigeria’s political, cultural, media and entertainment elite. The keynote speech was given by the President Elect of The Republic of Ghana, Dr. Nana Akufo-Addo.
However, there could only be 21 winners. The biggest prize of the night went to Nigeria’s youngest commissioner, Mark Okoye, who heads the Economic Planning and Budget Development Team in Anambra State. Okoye brings tenure as a senior member of the investment banking division at Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited where he was instrumental in executing numerous capital raising and financial advisory transactions to his new position,leaving an illustrious investment banking career, to join the Anambra State Economic Think-Tank.
See the full list of TFAA winners below:
Somkele Iyamah- Idhalama 28
Winner, The Future Awards and EbonyLife Prize for Acting 2016
Adebayo Oke-Lawal 26
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Fashion
Theodora Mogo 24
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Beauty
Yemi Alade 27
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Music
Dr. Salihu Dansuki 29
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Professional Service 2016
Ifeanyi Orajaka 28
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Business | Endowed by the Bank of Industry
Kehinde Paul 28
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Sports
Godwin Benson 27
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Education | Endowed by University of Sussex
Abiola Olaniran
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Technology | Endowed by Intel
Tosin Ajibade
Winner, The Future Awards and EbonyLife Prize for New Media
Bidemi Zakariyau
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Media Enterprise
Asuquo Ekpenyong 31
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Public Service
Adenrele Sonariwo 30
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Arts & Culture
Evans Akanno 27
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Creative Professional
Bukola Bolarinwa 28
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Advocacy | Endowed by Guinness
Julius Adewopo 31
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Agriculture
Adeola Osunkojo 30
Winner, The Future Awards and EbonyLife Prize for Screen Producer
Chika Oduah 30
Winner, The Future Awards and EbonyLife Prize for Journalism
Bolanle Olukanni 27
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for On Air Personality (visual)
Ayo Thompson 30
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for On Air Personality (audio) 2016
Mark Okoye 31
Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year
To find out more about the winners, go towww.http://thefutureafrica.com/
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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, YMonitor.org presented with National Endowment for Democracy (NED), The Future Enterprise Support Scheme and The Future Awards Africa, described as ‘The Nobel Prize for Young Africans’.
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 Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, 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.