The list celebrates the achievements and contributions of Africans from various fields and sectors, who have made a positive impact on the continent and the world.
London-based magazine New African has released its annual 100 Most Influential African People List for 2023; among those on the list are Tanzanians Elizabeth Maruma Mrema and Marie Mbullu.
Chosen for her passion for biodiversity and the environment at large, Ms Mrema, who is the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is regarded as one of the world’s most prolific biodiversity champions and activists.
She took up the UNEP position in early 2023—an ideal role given the current discourse on climate change, which is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss.
In her role, she is keen on using her experience to help find lasting solutions.
A lawyer by profession, she has spent more than 20 years in various roles with the UN agency. But one of her defining roles was as Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), part of UNEP, a post she held from 2020 until her current appointment.
Ms Mrema is also co-chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, whose mission is to encourage businesses to shift investments from destructive activities toward those that restore and protect nature.
She was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
Marie Mbullu is a Tanzanian-American student and a popular TikTok creator. She runs the account Habari Njema, which means “good news” in Swahili, and utilises her platform to disseminate positive and informative content about Africa, covering topics such as culture, history, politics, innovation, and travel.
She has over 650,000 followers and 8 million likes on TikTok. Impressively, her posts have garnered more than 24 million cumulative views and counting.
Mbullu epitomises a new generation of digital-savvy content creators and storytellers in Africa who are leveraging the power of social media to tell their stories and generate wealth.
The list celebrates the achievements and contributions of Africans from various fields and sectors, who have made a positive impact on the continent and the world.
“The list features a diverse and inspiring group of men and women who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, leadership, resilience, and vision in their respective domains. They include politicians, entrepreneurs, industrialists, environmentalists, creatives, scientists, educators, sports personalities, and more,” a statement by the magazine said.
“The list also reflects the shifting trends and priorities in Africa, as the continent faces new challenges and opportunities in the post-pandemic era,” the statement adds.
The magazine also said Nigeria was the country most represented on the list, highlighting the country’s dominance in the creative sector and business. It featured 18 people among the 100.
With that said, below are the 100 Africans mentioned on the list.
