Tinubu makes Time’s 100 most influential people list

*Also Dr. Dimie Ogoina, who first raised the alarm over ‘Mpox’

AMERICAN magazine, Time, has named the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, among the 100 most influential persons across the world in 2023.

Among top world figures that made the list is the President of the United States, Joe Biden.

Also, both Paris Saint-Germain stars of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe made the list among sportsmen.

The magazine said Tinubu merited the list because “Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare.

However, the magazine pointed out the huge task before the President-elect, writing: “Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy.”

“Called Jagaban, or ‘leader of the warriors,’ by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, ‘It’s my turn,’ was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker.”

“His campaign slogan, ‘It’s my turn’, was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.

“But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

“It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.

“Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy.

“But the President-elect seems aware of his inheritance: ‘[Nigeria] is one country and we must build it together,’ he said in his acceptance speech.”

The Time also honoured the medical doctor Dr Dimie Ogoina, as one of the 2023 Most Influential People.

Dr. Ogoina had in In 2017 raised the alarm on a new presentation of monkeypox (now know as Mpox) though the country and larger world did not seem to believe him then.

The doctor however continued his research, identifying the larger implication of its spread for the human family. He documented the potential for sexual transmission of Mpox and published the data in high-impact scientific journals. As the global Mpox outbreak unfolded in 2022, Ogoina’s insights became critically important to developing better strategies to prevent and control outbreaks.

Ogoina is also a passionate champion for global health equity. He has often made the point that Mpox is not a new disease and that had the world paid attention sooner, we could have avoided a global outbreak. It is this drive that has led Dimie to make significant contributions to the field through his advocacy, leadership, and research.