By: Bakary Ceesay
African musicians Simi, Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz and Bobi Wine appear on the list of 100 Most Influential Young Africans for 2020.
Diamond Platnumz, Burna Boy, Simi and Bobi Wine are among the musicians on the list.
Other musicians on the list include Nigeria’s Davido, DJ Neptune and Joeboy, as well as Innoss’B (Democratic Republic of Congo), Kuami Eugene (Ghana), Master KG (South Africa) and Eddy Kenzo (Uganda).
The fifth issue of the annual list was released on 3 November. It was compiled by Ghanaian PR and rating company Avance Media and Africa Youth Awards. It seeks to celebrate and acknowledge achievements and outstanding contributions aimed at the development of Africa in a diverse range of fields, including music, technology, fashion, politics, media, sports and activism, among others.
Commenting on the list, Avance Media managing director Prince Akpah said that young people are motivated by the stories of these achievers who have shown leadership amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 2020 list features young people pursuing various interests intended to put the name of the continent on the globe through selfless sacrifices and spirited leadership”, he said.
A total of 49 females and 51 males from 29 African countries were selected. Nigeria has the highest representation on the list with 21, while Ghana, Kenya and South Africa each have 10 apiece.
The selection criteria include public nomination process, which is followed by the vetting of the nominees based on excellence in leadership, performance, personal accomplishments and commitment to sharing knowledge, among other criteria.
Musicians who have appeared in previous lists include Landrick (Angola), Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast), Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Shatta Wale (Ghana) and Mr Eazi (Nigeria), among others.
Meanwhile, musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine hopes to campaign for presidency under the National Unity Platform (NUP) party in the upcoming general elections in Uganda. On 3 November the musician submitted his documents to the local Electoral Commission for consideration.
