Ambassador Harriet Thompson, the British High Commissioner to Ghana has congratulated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after he was named Forbes African of the Year 2021.
Thompson quoted a tweet of Forbes Africa's December 6 announcement of Akufo-Addo as its African Of The Year with the caption: "Congratulations Nana Akufo Addo! And congrats Ghana: “reliant on its own resources and strengths”, which we know to be great!"
The High Commissioner's tweet was posted on Monday, December 6, 2021. She joins a number of high-profile personalities to have felicitated with Akufo-Addo.
Among others, President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina; South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president.
The President was announced African of the Year, 2021 by Forbes Africa magazine late last week - on Friday, December 3, 2021.
According to the magazine, the president had repositioned Ghana in the global marketplace as one reliant on its own resources and strengths.
Speaking to CNBC Africa after the unveiling, President Akufo-Addo said he was overwhelmed by the recognition given him by Forbes Africa.
“For the African version of the magazine to pick on me, I’m very grateful for me,” he told CNBC Africa.
When asked what this award means to him, Nana Akufo-Addo said, "it means the world is looking at the work [his government] is doing here in Ghana and it is an inspiration for “us and it is an encouragement for us to continue to go down the path that we set ourselves.”
Renuka Methil, Managing Editor, Forbes Africa, indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo greatly deserves the honour.
She explained, “This is the fourth year of the award. He joins an elite club of his peers in Africa who have internationally recognized. We started with Paul Kagame of Rwanda (2018), Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group (2019) and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organisation (2020).
“We have the President of Ghana as the African of the Year particularly for his consistency, he assures. He has definitely done his bit in raising the international profile of his country and also for the rest of Africa…he is actually pushing the boundaries for not just Ghana, but for the rest of Africa."
The Forbes African of the Year award is always given to an African with global reputes, a visionary who is willing to bring serious reforms to the country he lives in.
African Business News' “African of the Year” award recognises Africans that have made an impact on the continent.
President Akufo-Addo has been named 2021 Forbes African Of The Year