Nigerian philanthropist Tony Elumelu is one of the most recognizable African names on Time Magazine's 100 most influential people list for 2020.
Through his Tony Elumelu Foundation, the businessman has provided mentorship and financial support to thousands of young entreprenuers.
A mentorship program that he began in 2015 has trained thousands of young entreprenuers and supported them with millions of dollars in seed capital.
For his work to end Ebola, Congolese scientist Jean-Jacques Muyembe also makes this year's most influential people list. In 1976, Dr Muyembe was among researchers who probed the first known outbreak of the Ebola virus disease.
He has dedicated himself to finding a cure for Ebola. Muyembe is also currently leading the Democratic Republic of Congo's response to Ebola and Covid-19.
And Gambian politician and lawyer Abubacarr Tambadou has won praise around the world as a champion of justice. In 2019, Tambadou led the Gambia's case against Myanmar for its harsh treatment of the Rohingya minority at the International Court of Justice.
In its initial ruling, the court ordered Su Kyi and her government to stop violent attacks against the Rohingya.
Dr. Tunji Funsho, a Nigerian cardiologist who has worked hard to eradicate polio from her country is also on the list as well as Tomi Adeyemi, an award-winning Nigerian-American novelist.
