10 greatest African leaders in history

Africa is known to be a hotbed of poverty, insecurity, and corruption. Over the years, African leaders have mostly disappointed the people. Some start fine but backslide along the line.

However, some African leaders have stood out from others due to their selfless services to their people. Some even made grave sacrifices to ensure that their people are independent and free to express themselves. Not only that, they brought development to their countries and as a result, engraved their names in history.

In honour of their sacrifices and selflessness, Skabash presents the top 10 greatest African leaders in history.

Table of Content hide 110 greatest African leaders in history 1.11. Nelson Mandela 1.22. Haile Selassie 1.33. Kwame Nkrumah 1.44. Julius Nyerere 1.55. Patrice Lumumba 1.66. Jomo Kenyatta 1.77. Thomas Sankara 1.88. Nnamdi Azikiwe 1.99. Kofi Annan 1.1010. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

10 greatest African leaders in history

1. Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first black president. Before becoming president, he fought against the apartheid system in South Africa and sacrificed a chunk of his adult life in prison. He spent 27 years behind bars and other imprisonments due to his revolutionary activism. Upon his release after 27 years in prison, his party African National Congress (ANC) party won the 1994 general election, regarded as South Africa’s first free and fair election in history.

Madiba, as he was fondly called, became president and forgave all his enemies by creating a reconciliation commission, which Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu chaired, to probe human rights violations during the apartheid era. Under Mandela’s leadership, racial segregation ended in South Africa, and there was a successful integration between the whites and the blacks. Mandela won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for bringing peace to South Africa through his projects that ended brutal decades of apartheid.

2. Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie was an Ethiopian ruler (1916 to 1974) and emperor (1930-1974). He was also the last member of the Solomonic Dynasty of the East African nation. During his reign, Ethiopia witnessed educational reforms as schools were constructed. In addition, social injustice fell, and the security forces of the state were strengthened. Selassie was also a Pan-Africanist who pushed for the Unity of Africa. He built an extensive network of ties with African communities in the diaspora as well as other Caribbean islands. Till today, the Rastafari community often regards him as the reincarnated messiah.

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3. Kwame Nkrumah

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana’s first indigenous President and was highly regarded for leading the nation to independence from British colonial rule. He is also regarded as the founder of Ghana. He was also a Pan-Africanist who co-founded the Africa Union (AU), formerly known as the Organisation of African Union (OAU).

Nkrumah studied for 12 years abroad and returned to Gold Coast to fight for the country’s independence from Britain. He was jailed several times for causing political protests. However, under his leadership as President, there were massive developmental projects across the length and breadth of Ghana. He remains the greatest leader Ghana has ever had till this day.

4. Julius Nyerere

Julius Nyerere was the first President and Prime Minister of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) from 1961 to 1985. A masters degree holder in economics and history, Nyerere was an African nationalist and a socialist. He co-founded the TANU (Tanganyika African National Union) in 1953. As President of TANU, he pushed for the nation’s independence from colonial rule. His efforts paid off and Tanganyika gained independence on December 9, 1961. In addition, Nyerere successfully negotiated the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika in 1964, which resulted in the nation we know today as Tanzania.

5. Patrice Lumumba

Patrice Lumumba was a revolutionary Congo politician who later became the nation’s first Prime Minister from July to September 1960. He was a Belgium citizen who was also the president of a Congolese trade union. After he returned to Congo, Lumumba founded the Congolese National Movement (MNC) and used Pan-African ideologies to push for independence for his country.

His efforts were rewarded as Congo, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, became an independent nation on June 30, 1961. Lumumba was highly respected for his great personality and communication skills. Sadly, his leadership was short-lived as he was ousted from office by Colonel Joseph-Desire Mobutu, adopted title Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga, and later assassinated in January 1961.  He was just 35 years old at the time of his brutal killing.

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6. Jomo Kenyatta

Jomo Kenyatta was an anti-colonial activist who later became the first President of Kenya. He was also the first  Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964. Kenyetta fought against racism and discrimination that was prominent under British rule in Kenya. He played a big role to ensure Kenya was free from colonialism. Kenyetta was the front-line politician in the Kenya African National Union (KANU) who was known for his nationalist and conservative ideals. He also promoted peace between the country’s ethnic groups and registered Kenya in the African Union (AU).

7. Thomas Sankara

Thomas Sankara was Che Guevara of Africa whose revolutionary works marked his name as one of Africa’s heroes in history. He was Burkina Faso’s president from 1983-1987. A Pan-Africanist and Marxist, Sankara joined the army at the age of 20 and got trained in Madagascar in 1970. There, he observed how students revolted against the Madagascan government which changed his life forever.

He returned to Upper Volta in 1980 and seized power in 1983. Under his leadership, the country’s name changed from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso. Unfortunately, his revolutionary pursuit for growth, gender equality, and social justice in Burkina Faso abruptly ended when he was assassinated on October 15, 1987, during a military coup staged by his friend, Blaise Campoare. Sankara was 37 years old at the time of his death.

8. Nnamdi Azikiwe

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was Nigeria’s first President from 1963 to 1966. Popularly known as the “Zik of Africa” and “Father of Nigerian nationalism,” Azikiwe fought for Nigeria’s independence and became the first Nigerian to be named to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Governor-General on the same day. A co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1944, Zik was widely popular for his pan-Africanist zeal.

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9. Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who led the United Nations (UN) as its 7th Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. Under his leadership at the UN, he tackled the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and worked to resolve a lot of conflicts in the world. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for his contribution to global peace.

Annan’s post-UN works were also successful as he served as a special envoy and headed several organisations in countries such as Syria and Myanmar.  He founded the Kofi Annan Foundation, a charitable and global policy think-tank, one of the numerous legacies he left behind after he died on August 18, 2018. He was 80 years old. Although, Annan wasn’t a mainstream politician, he is still regarded as one of Africa’s and the world’s greatest leaders.

10. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is the only female leader to make the list. Popularly known as “Africa’s Iron Lady,” she was the first female President of Liberia and the first female President of any African country. She was in office from 2006 to 2018. A graduate of economics from Harvard University, Johnson-Sirleaf was jailed and exiled for her fight against Master Sergeant Samuel Doe’s military rule. She is primarily known for bringing steadiness back to Liberia after many years of civil war and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

In conclusion, Africa may be behind in terms of development and advancement in technology, but most of the progress the continent has made so far can be attributed to these African leaders who will always be remembered for their numerous memorable works.

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