DAILY TRUST, an Abuja-based private media outfit, has called for nomination of exemplary personalities for its coveted African of the Year 2019 award.

The media outfit, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, said that the nominations would begin on Monday, August 19, and close on October 18, 2019.

Mr Mannir Dan-Ali, CEO/Editor-in-Chief of Media Trust Limited, publishers of DAILY TRUST, who signed the statement, said that ideal nominees should be “ordinary Africans, who have made extra-ordinary contributions to humanity in any field from any part of the continent”.

He said that the award consisted of three components – a permanent plaque, a certificate of merit and a cash reward in aid of the awardee or his/her chosen charity project.

Dan-Ali said that valid entries for the 2019 award would be for works, events or activities undertaken by the nominee between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019.

According to him, nominations are to be made online at award.dailytrust.com.

“The eventual winner will be selected by a seven-member prize committee chaired by Mr Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana.

“Other members of the committee, who represent Africa’s regional blocs are Ambassador Mona Omar (North Africa), Mr Amadou Mahtar Ba (West Africa), Ms. Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), and Mr Pascal Kambale (Central Africa).

Also on the committee is Prof. Sylvia Tamale, representing East Africa, while Mr Kabir Yusuf,  Chairman of the Board of Media Trust Limited, is to represent the award promoters.

Recalling that the award was in its 12th edition, Dan-Ali said that the African of the Year Award was inaugurated in 2008 by DAILY TRUST in fulfilment of the newspaper’s commitment to African unity and sustainable development across the continent.

“With this annual award, the newspaper hopes to entrench the culture of selflessness among Africans with the aim of creating a pool of role-models for others to emulate,” Dan-Ali said.

He also recalled that the maiden award was presented to a Congolese gynaecologist, Dr. Denis Mukwege, in recognition of his exemplary humanitarian offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.

Mukwege won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, 10 years after DAILY TRUST recognised his remarkable humanitarian gesture.

Last year’s award went to five Kenyan Girls – Stacy Owino, Purity Achieng, Ivy Akinyi, Synthia Otieno and Macrine Atieno – for developing a mobile application that is used in helping to tackle Female Genital Mutilation