The Time Magazine International has named four Nigerians among its annual roll of honour of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The four Nigerians are the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Transcorp Plc Chairman, Tony Elumelu, Tomi Adeyemi, Tunji Funsho and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Elumelu is acknowledged as one of Africa’s leading investors and philanthropists for his achievements in business, industry and development not only in Nigeria in particular, but also in Africa in general.
Ms Tomi Adeyemi is a Harvard University-trained born Nigerian-American novelist and creative writing coach.
She is acknowledged by Wikipedia as the writer of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Children of Blood and Bone, the first in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.
The book won the 2018 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, the 2019 Waterstones Book Prize, and the 2019 Hugo Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book. In 2019, she was named among Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
Dr. Funsho, is a cardiologist and the chair of Rotary International’s polio¬ eradication program in Nigeria.
Funsho and Rotary played a critical role in getting millions of doses of the polio vaccine to children in cities and villages around the nation. On 25 August, marking four years without a case of wild polio, Nigeria was certified wild polio-free.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo, whose surname is a Greek script rendition for “Adetokunbo” was in Greece to Nigerian parents in 1994. Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
