Former President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, who received the 2020 Ibrahim Prize for Excellence in Leadership in Africa, considers it an honor for all Nigeriens, reads a press release. Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

He received the Award today, June 3, 2021, during a Special Award Ceremony held during the Ibrahim Governance Weekend 2021.

Speaking from Niamey to a global audience via MIF. Live, President Issoufou said he was moved and, at the same time, proud that the members of the Ibrahim Prize Committee had chosen him. “Through me, it is all the Nigerien people who are honored. I would like to thank President Festus Mogae and the members of the Ibrahim Prize Committee who were kind enough to choose my modest person. I greet and congratulate Mo Ibrahim as well as the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for their multifaceted support which they bring to the process of emergence of our continent ”, he commented.

The Ibrahim Prize is a US $ 5 million award that recognizes and celebrates excellence in African leadership. It allows the African continent to benefit from the experience and wisdom of its exceptional leaders by giving them the opportunity to pursue civic action on the continent once their national mandate has ended.

Explaining the decision to award the Ibrahim Prize to President Issoufou, Festus Mogae, Chairman of the Prize Committee and former President of Botswana, said he has made history in Niger. “He paved the way for the very first democratic transition of power in Niger. His example shows that those who lead, regardless of the challenges, can do so with the utmost respect both for the citizens they serve and for the rule of law, ”he added.

The Award Ceremony is part of Ibrahim Governance Weekend 2021, which is usually held in a different African country each year, but takes place in a virtual format in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. At the heart of this weekend is the Ibrahim Forum, which brings together a powerful coalition of African and world leaders to debate a topic crucial to the continent’s future.

The Ibrahim Forum 2021 focuses on “One year of COVID-19 in Africa: impacts and perspectives”, a new report from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation which analyzes the health, economic, social and political fallout from the pandemic and highlights the main avenues for the end of the crisis of the continent.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse