FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  NIGERIANS DOMINATE SHORTLIST AS FORBES AFRICA PERSON OF THE YEAR NOMINEES GO TO POLL

Forbes Africa, today announced it has narrowed down a shortlist, dominated by Nigerians, for the 2013 Person of the Year Awards, due to take place in Nairobi, Kenya at the beginning of December this year.

Following suggestions from Forbes Africa’s readers and social media audience, official voting in the form of a poll http://forbesafrica.com/person-of-the-year/voting.html on  is now open to the public who can make their selection of the individual they deem most worthy of the Person of the Year title.

The Person of the Year Awards celebrate ‘the individual who, for better or worse, has had the most influence on events of the year gone by’ and Forbes Africa has welcomed the participation of the public in what is fast becoming one of the most momentous and anticipated annual events in Africa.

“Every year, we are excited to decide the Forbes Africa Person of the Year. We want to honour the big hitters of the continent who are making a difference in people’s lives and we hope that in doing so, it will inspire others,” commented Chris Bishop, the managing editor of Forbes Africa magazine.

The shortlist, comprising of three Nigerians, one South African and one Zimbabwean, is as follows:

1. South African mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe, plans on giving away more than half his fortune over the next five years.

2. Akinwunmi Adesina is Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and his vision is to make Nigeria a self-sustaining, food-producing nation and register 20 million farmers by 2015.

3. Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest man and his net worth has significantly increased on the back of his continued business success, allowing him to better the lives of millions.

4. Strive Masiyiwa is the founder of global telecoms group, Econet Wireless, and through Capernaum Trust he educates tens of thousands of Zimbabwean orphans.

5. Jim Ovia established Zenith Bank Group in 1990 – now West Africa’s second largest financial services provider. His focus has turned to helping grow Africa’s budding ‘techpreneurs’.

2013 has been an exciting year for entrepreneurs and business across Africa. Who do you believe has made a real impact in business by stimulating economic growth, creating employment, spearheading innovation and bringing new technologies to the continent? The top five candidates will comprise a portion of what will be the Person of the Year Awards judges’ final decision. Go to http://forbesafrica.com/person-of-the-year/voting.html to vote now. Voting closes 4 November!

About Forbes Africa:

Forbes Africa is the continent’s first-ever international business publication localized for the African executive. With levels of affluence and influence in Africa steadily climbing, ABN 360 saw it fitting that its ABN Publishing wing be the operating entity that established Forbes Magazine in Africa. Titled “Forbes Africa magazine”, the monthly publication is the continent’s first-ever international business publication to be localized for the African executive. Forbes Africa – which has been on the shelves since October 2011, encompasses both the detail and the personality, bringing a unique perspective to business media reporting that is delivered in a sharp, in-depth and engaging fashion. As the sixteenth English-language edition of the highly successful FORBES magazine, FORBES AFRICA has distinguished itself as a key title renowned for its many lists based on the levels of global wealth and power.

About ABN360:

ABN 360 offers a holistic approach to telling Africa’s business story – first. With much-esteemed international brands such as CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa providing a broadcast and print platform respectively, the ABN 360 conglomerate also offers resources to organize world-class events across the African continent, through ABN Productions. The recently-launched ABN Training Institute boasts state-of-the-art facilities to provide media training among many other courses, while ABN Digital is the company’s online presence for your up-to-date business and markets news. Through its sub-brands, ABN 360 aims to be Africa’s leading aggregator and distributor of business and economic news.

By Tann vom Hove

After representing Baden-Württemberg, Germany’s second most prosperous state, at the European Union (EU) in Brussels for nine years, Richard Arnold could have moved to any number of senior government positions in either Berlin or Stuttgart. Instead he decided to return to his hometown of Schwäbisch Gmünd to run for mayor. In an interview with City Mayors, Mayor Arnold explained that at local level a politician is not only closest to ordinary people but can also influence and implement cutting-edge changes. “I cannot imagine anything more rewarding than to be able to be part of and help shaping these changes in my hometown,” he said.

Richard Arnold was born in 1959 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, a city of some 60,000 people, 50km east of Stuttgart and, following his education at a local high school, studied public administration at the universities of Konstanz and Frankfurt. After a scholarship year at one of America’s elite universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology“ (MIT) in 1988, Arnold worked for two years at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels as expert on EU agricultural and environmental policies. Before returning to Brussels in 2000, he occupied several senior posts with the state government of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. From 2000 until 2009, Arnold headed the representative office of Baden-Württemberg at the EU. In 2007, during the German presidency of the Council of the European Union, Arnold was voted one of the best-known and most influential Germans in Brussels. In May 2009, Arnold defeated Schwäbisch Gmünd’s incumbent Social-Democrat mayor in the first round of the election.

Mayor Arnold is a member of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) and one who cherishes his Christian, liberal-humanistic values. He considers people and their concerns central to all major decisions. “Whatever we aim for, we have to achieve it for the people and not regard them as a means to an end.” He believes in a modern conservatism that recognises that more and more people no longer want to be dominated by a cold, soulless, purely profit-orientated technocracy.

During his years outside Germany, Arnold embraced globalisation – he now speaks German, English, French, Dutch and Spanish – but also learnt that in an increasingly mobile, outward-orientated society, the role of the local community was more important than ever. Even while working in Brussels, he never cut the ties that bound him to his hometown. As an accomplished tenor, Arnold was particularly keen to remain part Schwäbisch Gmünd’s cultural scene.

Recently the mayor has attracted national and international attention for his advocacy for greater rights for refugees. At Schwäbisch Gmünd he regards himself as mayor of all people including asylum seekers and believes they should be allowed to participate more actively in society. “Forced idleness can lead to apathy and even crime.”