Nigerian banker named as Africa's person of the year

Forbes Africa magazine has named Nigeria's Central Bank governor Mallam Lamido Sanusi as its Person of the year.

Sanusi was named in the number one position ahead of two Nobel prize Winners (President of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, and Kenyan Wangari Maathai), a Mo Ibrahim Prize Winner (ex-President of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires), and Forbes richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

In a statement, Forbes said the 50-year-old, nicknamed the Teflon gov, was among those who had had 'significant influence on the events of 2011 on the African continent.' Mr. Sanusi received the most votes by the magazine's readers in an online poll.

The magazine said,

The hard line reforms, which drew criticisms and personalised attacks from some interested parties on the domestic front, earned him the approval of even western regulators and politicians, many of whom are still struggling for solutions to the financial crises in their own countries.

Sanusi is said to have initiated reforms in Nigeria's troubled banking sector since his appointment in 2009. His reforms led to several bank chiefs, and political leaders named, shamed, out of a job and in the courtroom docket.

He credited his success to employers at the bank.

Everything achieved as governor is a collective result of the 5,000 hardworking workers of the bank.

Sanusi's honesty and integrity has impressed many people who see the banking sector as anything but honest. He is not afraid to fall out with influential political figures in order to instill confidence in the banks. Even the political elite are warming up to his largely transparent style of leadership and there is talk of Sanusi fighting for the presidency in 2015 or 2019.

Image: Mallam Lamido Sanusi