Former President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has won the Prestigious 2024 Africa Advancement Award for Exemplary Leadership at the African Heritage Awards (AHA) 2024 event held in Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday, April 13.
He won the award for his contribution to Ghana’s democracy and also for peacefully handing over power to his successor after losing the 2016 general elections.
An earlier statement issued by the Chairman, Heritage Times, organizers of the awards, Mr Moses Siasia, said “The event is a gathering strategically organised to celebrate and recognise outstanding global accomplishments of Africans within the continent and in the Diaspora, in areas of Business, Politics, Philanthropy, Entertainment & Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, and Social Innovation.”
Siasia said that the recognition and awards have become imperative to sustainably foster the African culture of excellence, promote Afrocentrism, and create an ecosystem that would further retell the true African story towards the advancement of the continent’s full potential.
Aside Mr Mahama, the organisers of the award had also listed those nominated to include African-American billionaire Philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, Chairman/CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Texas, United States and HE, Dr George Weah, former President of Liberia.
Others were HE, Mama Rachael Ruto, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya & Founder of Mama Doing Good Organisation and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, Prime Minister of Togo and Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, Managing Director of the Rose of Sharon Group and Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited are among those to honour, among others.
Mr Mahama in his remarks after winning the award said “I dedicate this award to the team that helped me, day and night thinking through the challenges that we had as a country. And we went through some difficult times. We had a power crisis,we had an economic crisis and one had to really be innovative and creative thinking to be able to steer through those times.
“I’m inspired by this award because not everybody gets the chance or the opportunity to be president twice. Incidentally, I’m standing for elections again, it is what gives an opportunity that you are able to reflect over these last eight years on things that you did well and things that you didn’t do so well and get an opportunity to come and make those things better. And so, I consider this From the Heritage Times as an inspiration.”