YNaija Person Of The Year: Ezekwesili, Dangote, Dbanj, Other Nigerians Nominated

YNaija.com, the Internet News bulletin for Young Nigerians, has unveiled nominees for its Person of the Year award. Expectedly, following in the foot prints of the TIME Person of the Year, the recognition beams its search light on extra-ordinary individuals who have made news headlines in the past 12 months, as well as stirred debate in public discourse.

With nominees carefully selected by YNaija panel of editors, readers will have the opportunity to vote that person who is worthy of the title. However the editors, taking the popular vote into cognisance, will make the final decision.

The nominees are:

Aliko Dangote: With his entrepreneurial savvy and consistence, Dangote has risen to become Africa’s richest man. Outside of government, the Dangote conglomerate is the highest employer of labour in the country. This year, Dangote opened a 6 million metric tonnes cement production plant in Ibeche.

Dapo ’D’ banj’ Oyebanjo: D’banj joined the G.O.O.D Music crew owned by Grammy Award winning artiste, Kanye West, and has since then achieved many feats including sold out show appearances, topped charts, and won several awards to show that his success and that of his former partner, Don Jazzy doesn’t have to be inversely proportional.

Obiageli Ezekwesili: Her moral authority has become her calling card. This year, she successfully completed her stint as the World Bank Vice President Africa Division, a position to which she was appointed in 2007. As vice-president she was in charge of the bank’s operations in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and supervised a lending portfolio of over $40 billion.

The Nigerian: For surviving against all odds, when the pump price of fuel was increased and packaged as a New Year’s gift, the future seemed bleak. But The Nigerian has come through. From bomb blasts, to air mishaps, to monumental fraud, The Nigerian not only survived but continues to believe in the country’s redemption.

Other nominees are Davido, Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Olusegun Mimiko, Tunde Bakare, Omoyemi Akerele and Barth Nnaji.

The announcement of the selection for YNaija Person of the Year is on December 31, 2012.  There will be no award given to the winner, and also no event. The winner and the public will be officially notified of the selection, with an essay detailing rationale, impact and significance for the future.