A leading independent newspaper in Nigeria, DAILY TRUST, has called for nominations of exemplary personalities for the coveted African of the Year 2023 award. Nominations are open from September 11, 2023 to midnight of October 16, 2023.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Media Trust Group, proprietors of DAILY TRUST and Trust TV, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, said ideal nominees should be “ordinary Africans who have made extra-ordinary contributions to humanity in any field from any part of the continent”.

Mr. Gwarzo disclosed that the award consists of three components, namely, a permanent plaque, a certificate of merit and a cash reward in aid of the awardee or his/her chosen charity project.

Valid entries for the 2023 award will be for works, events or activities undertaken by the nominee between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023, and nominations are to be made online at award.dailytrust.com. The eventual winner will be selected by a six-member prize committee chaired by His Excellency, Mr. Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana.

Other members of the Committee who represent Africa’s regional blocs are: Ambassador Mona Omar (North Africa), Mr. Amadou Mahtar Ba (West Africa), Ms. Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), and Pastor Rigobert MINANI BIHUZO (Central Africa). The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Media Trust Group, Mr. Kabiru Yusuf, represents the award promoters.

The Group CEO emphasised that a winner will emerge, strictly based on the selection criteria and not the number of entries submitted on his/her behalf.

Mr. Gwarzo further disclosed that the presentation ceremony for the 2023 edition of the African of the Year Award will hold in Abuja, Nigeria, in January, 2024.

Now in its 15th edition, the African of the Year Award was inaugurated in 2008 by DAILY TRUST in fulfilment of the newspaper’s commitment to African unity and sustainable development across the continent.

With this annual award, Mr. Gwarzo said the newspaper hopes to entrench the culture of selflessness among Africans with the aim of creating a pool of role-models for others to emulate.

The maiden award was presented to a Congolese gynaecologist, Dr. Denis Mukwege, in recognition of his exemplary humanitarian offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, which was 10 years after DAILY TRUST had recognised his remarkable humanitarian gesture.