Forbes Africa has released its annual 30 Under 30 list, which recognizes outstanding young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators under the age of 30.

The list, titled “The Newest Self-Made Young Innovators and Leaders Scripting a New Vision for Africa,” showcases 30 dynamic and versatile individuals who are spearheading Africa’s progress in their own unique ways.

Among the notable individuals featured are:

• Temilade Openiyi (Tems) 27, Nigeria – Singer-songwriter.
• Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (Ayra Starr) 20, Benin/Nigeria – Singer.
• Hansel Ndu Okeke, 28, Nigeria – Co-founder and CEO, Weevil Company.
• Germain Ndu-Okeke, 24, Nigeria – Co-founder and Chief Operation Officer, Weevil Company.
• Blessing Joel Abeng, 28, Nigeria – Co-founder and Director of Communications, Ingressive For Good.
• Oluwabusayo Victoria Abiri, 29, Nigeria – Founder and CEO, Koko By Khloe.
• Asisat Oshoala, 28, Nigeria – Striker for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona and the Nigeria women’s national team.

An editorial team lead by Chanel Retief, curator of the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30, along with a group of unbiased external assessors and subject-matter experts, selected the finalists from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants.

Renuka Methil, managing editor of Forbes Africa, said, “In a post-pandemic Africa, everything is evolving all over again; everything is a work in progress. That was evident in the pool of talent we received… because here is a young batch of people completely cognizant of the changes the continent is going through and who are coming up with ideas and solutions for some of these very new problems. There are also problems that have been around for a long, and they are now trying to tackle them quickly. I think the speed with which they are trying to execute some of these ideas is what we need to highlight. They are also building their own brand and changing the image of the continent.”