Olusegun Obasanjo – Former Nigerian President

After his second time being the civilian president, Olusegun Obasanjo was unlike anyone else in Nigerian politics. During his time in politics, Obasanjo has had a ton of influence on the different policies in the nation, even if it was self-serving or overbearing at times.

However, unlike other leaders in Nigeria, no one has dedicated their life post-service like Obasanjo has, from the Nigerian project to helping the less fortunate. It is no wonder he has had a second chance as a continental diplomat, as he is a president that could be elected time and time again.

As a member of the Africa Progress Panel, which is a group of ten people who advocate for the highest levels of sustainable and equitable development in Africa, Obasanjo is making a difference. He uses his power on the panel to facilitate coalition building to obtain broker knowledge and brings together policy and decision-makers to influence African policy.

Before Obasanjo’s rise to power, the GDP growth in Nigeria was painfully slow but under his administration, it doubled until he left office. In 2016, Obasanjo was named one of the 100 most influential people in Nigeria by Y! or Ynaija.com.

The masculine name Olusegun means “God is victorious” in Yoruba. The name is often compared to Oluwasegun, which means “God has been victorious” in Yoruba. There are many notable people with the name, from Olusegun Osoba a Nigerian politician and journalist to Olusegun Adewoye a Nigerian academic and engineer.