African Heritage Concert, Awards to honour Jonathan, Ian Khama, others in Kigali

Former Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will headline other African greats who are set to be honored at the maiden edition of The African Heritage Concert and Awards slated to hold in Kigali, Rwanda, on 1 April.

Former President of Tanzania, late John Magufuli; Vice President of Liberia, Chief Dr Jewel Howard-Taylor; former President of Botswana, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama (retd); and many other prominent Africans will also be honored.

According to the organizers – Heritage Times (HT), The African Heritage Concert and Awards will celebrate and honor distinguished African personalities who have dignified themselves through remarkable global achievements.

This, the organizers say, has become imperative to foster the African culture of excellence and promote Afrocentrism.

The African Heritage Awards and Concert will celebrate and global recognition of outstanding achievements made by Africans, including those residing in the diaspora, in areas of Business, Politics, Philanthropy, Entertainment/Arts, and Culture, among others.

Dr Jonathan, President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, will be honored with the African Democracy and Peace Icon Award.

Jonathan’s name is written in gold for being the first incumbent Nigerian president to cede power peacefully to the opposition in the aftermath of an election, a move which saved the country from plunging into speculated crisis in 2015.

His administration brought on board professionals and technocrats, including the likes of WTO’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and AfDB’s Akinwumi Adesina, whose expertise helped revamp Nigeria’s economy.

Ian Khama, Botswana’s fourth Head of State, will be honored with the African Philanthropist Award for stamping his reputation as an advocate of human rights and respecter of the rule of law.

His foundation, the SKI Khama Foundation, has immensely empowered youths and contributed to the country’s health, education, and sports sectors.

Currently serving as Liberia’s 30th Vice President, Howard-Taylor will be bestowed with the African Humanitarian Award.

She has been a very visible and involved stateswoman; with a vision for affordable but quality education; a transparent justice system; an improved and accessible health system; women’s economic and political participation; and an accountable public service system.

The late Magufuli will receive a posthumous African Icon Award for his giant strides during his short stint as President of Tanzania.

When he came on board, his government banned many of the chronic problems in the Tanzanian administrative and political leadership.

He fought a structure riddled with systemic corruption, characterized by ghost workers on the payroll, underperformance, laxity in public service, and extravagant spending.

Other awardees are Victoria Nalongo Namusisi, Founder & Executive Director of Bright Kids Uganda, and Uganda’s first female Sports journalist, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Others are Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, Kenyan legal practitioner and Advocate of the High Courts of Kenya and Tanzania; Sir Benedict Peters, Founder and Managing Director/CEO of Aiteo Group.

Also on the list are Olumide Akpata Esq, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Hajiya Hafsat Kolere Buni, First Lady of Yobe state and Founder of Ma’aruf Foundation; Fred Swaniker, Founder, African Leadership University; Christelle Kwizera, Rwandan mechanical engineer and social entrepreneur; Triple Ghetto Kids, a dance group founded in 2014 and composed of children from the Katwe slum in Kampala, Uganda, add to the list.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe and Ivorian/Chelsea football legend Didier Drogba will also be honored. Industry players – Afrexim Bank, CEOs of MTN, and Sonangol are also up for the Awards.

Aside from bestowing international prestige and recognition, the awards will focus on the critical importance of culture and leadership, which the organisers believe lies at the core of any shared advancement of socio-economic and political development in Africa.