In keeping with the tradition of identifying the world’s most promising leaders under 40, the World Economic Forum has announced the Class of 2023 into the Forum of Young Global Leaders, a prestigious community of outstanding people addressing the world’s most pressing problems and driving innovation for positive change across civil society, the arts, culture, government and business. Of the 12 trailblazers from Africa, the trio of Uche Pedro, Tokini Schwebig, Oluseun Onigbinde are the only Nigerians.
This year’s list is nothing short of impressive, featuring almost 100 exceptional individuals who are all making significant contributions to the world. While Pedro is the founder of BellaNaija, a digital media platform, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, whose father is Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC, is the founder of ART X Collective, a cultural management company in Lagos, whose flagship fair, ART X Lagos, is the leading international art fair in West Africa. Oluseun Onigbinde is an open data analyst and the co-founder and CEO of budgIT, a Nigerian civic startup. Pedro made the list for her groundbreaking work in digital media, while Onigbinde’s innovative approaches to governance, earned him a place on the list. Similarly, Peterside-Schwebig’s outstanding contribution to the arts is the reason she made the list. The WEF Young Global Leaders Class of 2023 is a true reflection of the diverse talents and achievements of young leaders from Africa and around the world.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
