Top 10 Greatest African Leaders Of All Time,At various points in history, Africa and Africans have had a number of leaders with a range of ideologies, social standing, and charisma.
Many of these leaders were successful in appropriately energizing their followers using a variety of techniques and platforms, and they have improved the lives of countless numbers of their followers as a result of their deeds. We list the top 10 African leaders in history.
Top 10 Greatest African Leaders Of All Time
1. Nelson Mandela
As expected, Nelson Mandela is the first on the list. Almost everyone agreed he remains the greatest African leader of all time. He is a pride of South Africa, and a hero the country won’t forget for a very long time. Nelson gave his all to ensure the eradication of apartheid in the country.
He had followed the path of India’s Mahatma Gandhi, and he indulged in peaceful campaigns that are devoid of violence, just to see to it that the government of those times quit its racist policies and allow everyone enjoys equal rights in South Africa. Well, his struggles yielded positive fruits.
Nelson Mandela also served as the President of his country from 1994 to 1999. Interestingly, even though he has the charisma to rule for more than one term, he decided to leave the scene as soon as he finished his tenure. Mandela was honored with the Noble Peace Prize in 1993 and considered as the best leader the continent has ever produced. Prior to his death, Mr. Nelson is seen as a symbol of global peace, and indeed, he is a lover of peace.
2. Haile Selassie
The next is Haile Selassie, another great African leader from Ethiopia. A member of the Solomonic Dynasty, Haile has a special place in African history. A big hero who ensured Ethiopia won’t fall into the hands of the colonialists when other African countries were being taken, Haile was a brave leader that stopped an invasion by Italy.
Before becoming the country’s emperor in 1930, he first served as its regent (from 1916). About six years after becoming the emperor of Ethiopia, the African leader condemned the usage of chemical weapons by Italy against Ethiopians during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War at the League of Nations. He was pretty much influential that his country was made a charter member of the United Nations. Additionally, Haile played a big role in starting the Organization of African Unity back then.
3. Kwame Nkrumah
Next is Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. He was the leader of the country (the First Prime Minister) from 1951 to 1966, and he left huge marks. Kwame played a big role in the creation of the Organization of African Unity (now African Union). He was a great African leader that inspired several people in several ways; an outspoken advocate of Pan-Africanism and considered a hero by several people.
4. Alpha Oumar Konare
Alpha Oumar Konare is a great African leader from Mali who did his best to transform the fortunes of his country. He was their President between 1992 and 2002 (he served for two terms), and it is on record that Konare boosted the economy of Mali before leaving the seat of power.
Apart from his exploits in terms of boosting his country’s economy, he also did his best to foster the democracy of the country. His exploits were not just limited to his activities in Mali alone, but he also served as the chairperson of the African Union for some time, as well as President of ECOWAS (where he worked hard to ensure peace and integration).
5. Julius Nyerere
Julius Kambarage Nyerere is another great leader from Africa. He is well respected for his exploits, particularly for his country Tanzania (he was the country’s first President). He served as President from 1964 to 1985.
One of the things he did that earned him admiration was when he willingly stepped down from the seat of power in the year 1985. Before becoming the President, and before the birth of the independent nation of Tanzania, Julius was premier when Tanganyika was granted internal self-government. He is known for his stance against corruption and was respected by various important persons around the globe.
6. Patrice Lumumba
This man established the mainstream Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) party, and he pushed greatly for the independence of the people of Congo from Belgium.
After the independence of his country, Patrice became the first-ever democratically elected Prime Minister of the young nation. One thing he did was to encourage national unity. Apart from the steps he took within Congo, he also ensured that he pushed for the independence of other African countries.
Unfortunately, he was murdered in 1961 after Joseph Mobutu (a military leader) snatched power, and that was his end.
7. Thomas Sankara
Next on the list is Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara, a Burkinabe from who is regarded as one of the greatest African leaders of all time. He was in charge from 1983 to 1987.
Sankara, who assumed leadership of his nation in 1983 at the age of 33, is one of the young leaders that dominated Africa in the 1980s. He tried his best to eradicate corruption in the nation and to subdue the influence of the French, who were Burkina Faso’s colonial rulers at the time.
Sankara was a military captain, Pan-African theorist, and also a Marxist revolutionary. Since he was carrying out a lot of exploits even as a very young chap, many young Africans made him their hero. In fact, until this moment in his country, he is still loved for his integrity and love for his nation.
Unfortunately, he was assassinated on October 15, 1987, and was not allowed to fulfill his full potentials. Nevertheless, he remains one of the best leaders Burkina Faso has ever had, and one of the greatest leaders Africa has ever seen.
8. Jomo Kenyatta
Another outstanding African leader who had a significant impact during his lifetime was Jomo Kenyatta. He was the first President of the nation and a Kenyan. Jomo served as Kenya’s prime minister for a year after the British awarded the country its independence in 1963. In 1964, he finally won the presidency, which he held until his passing in 1978.
Kenyatta did a lot for his country while he was in power. He ensured stability in the country, and he pushed Kenya’s economic status to an improved spot.
9. Samora Machel
The following on the list is Samora Machel of Mozambique. This is the man who led Mozambique for the first time as president and brought the nation many advancements.
After the nation gained its independence in 1975, military commander Samora assumed leadership and remained in that position until his death in a plane crash in 1986.
10. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Finally, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is next – the only female on the list. She served as the 24th President of Liberia and became the first elected female head of state in the continent of Africa. Her reputation made her a model for many people (especially young women) in different parts of the continent.
With a convincing victory in the 2005 presidential election, Ellen took office on January 18, 2006. After years of civil strife, she worked diligently to bring stability back to her nation. She received numerous honors on a global scale in addition to praise for her achievements just inside the African continent. For instance, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 (a distinction that only a select few world leaders have). She does indeed continue to spread the message that everyone will benefit if more African nations offer more women a chance to hold political office.
In conclusion, here are the ten greatest African leaders of all time, and we expect other African leaders to keep learning from them, and ensure the progress of the continent.
