Olusegun Obasanjo – Nigeria
Even after 10 years of stepping down, many are still concerned about what the former Nigerian leader has been doing. This is because the 80-year-old still divides opinion in the country and continues to enjoy significant influence within the politics of the country. For instance, as the country approaches the 2019 elections, many have already been questioning who Obasanjo will support. But the former leader who has intervened in elections in Zimbabwe, and in the release of some of the Chibok girls who were kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram, recently took to writing and publishing. His recent book, Making Africa Work, describes itself as “a guide to improving Africa’s capacity for economic growth and job creation”. Co-written with Greg Mills, Jeffrey Herbst and Dickie Davis, it also talks about various political and economic challenges facing the continent. He recently graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the National Open University of Nigeria.