Grammy-winning artist Damini Ogulu, known worldwide as Burna Boy, joins an elite list of changemakers named among the 2025 ‘100 Most Notable Peace Icons in Africa’, unveiled in Abuja this week by the organisers of the Pan-African recognition initiative.
Joining him are Africa’s wealthiest industrialist Aliko Dangote, World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, top banker and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, and football sensation Victor Osimhen. These are names already etched into African consciousness, but this honour casts them in a different light, as architects of peace in action.
From using music to unite generations and amplify African identity, to using capital and policy to empower young people and drive equitable economic opportunities, the newly named peace icons represent a cross-section of Africa’s leadership in motion.
Other notable Nigerian honourees include Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, influential preacher Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of COZA Global, energy mogul Femi Otedola, Access Holdings Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and high-profile women leaders like Zainab Nasir-Idris, wife of the Kebbi State Governor, and Huriyya Dauda-Lawal, wife of the Zamfara Governor.
Ambassador Kinsley Amafibe, Project Director for the initiative, highlighted that the honourees were chosen for their tangible commitment to peace-building, their impact on youth empowerment, community development, and humanitarian work across sectors. “These individuals have consistently used their platforms to foster harmony and amplify solutions, not just commentary, across the African landscape,” he stated.
He added that the full list spans leaders from diverse fields, including media mogul Nduka Obaigbena, Tanzanian music star Diamond Platnumz, and globally recognised figures such as Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah and Moroccan trailblazers Dr Abdelhak Najib and Dr Imane Kendili.
The Peace Icons will be formally honoured at the ‘100 Most Notable Africans Leadership and Business Summit’, scheduled to take place from 4 to 6 July 2025 at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. The summit will focus on “Leadership Frameworks for Governance, Business Growth, Investment Opportunities and Sustainable Development in Africa”.
The Kigali gathering is set to draw together government officials, economic experts, private sector leaders, and civil society actors to map out actionable paths for cross-border collaboration and sustainable investment. According to Amafibe, the summit is not just an award ceremony, it is a leadership workshop for the future of the continent.
“Africa’s greatest untapped resource remains its people,” Amafibe noted. “And those who leverage influence not only to lead, but to build, inspire, and unify, deserve to be celebrated and supported.”
With the 2025 list, Africa now has a visible roll call of individuals who are shaping a more cohesive and constructive future. More than fame or fortune, their legacy will be measured in lives transformed and tensions diffused, often without cameras, and far from the headlines.
