According to the voting page, João Lourenço is one of the nominees for the 'Africa Peace & Security Leader of the Year' category.
The head of state is competing for this title with Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of South Sudan; Birhanu Jula, chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force; and Rudzani Maphwanya, head of the South African National Defence Force.
For now, the President of the Republic is in second place in the voting, with 22,09 percent of the votes. The category is currently led by Rudzani Maphwanya, with 51,16 percent of the votes.
Diamantino Azevedo is nominated in the 'African Government Minister of the Year' category.
Quoted in a statement from the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, to which VerAngola had access, the magazine clarifies that Diamantino Azevedo "was nominated by a broad and engaged cross-section of readers, stakeholders and followers, who responded enthusiastically to the call for nominations shared through extensive digital media networks".
According to the magazine, quoted in the note from the ministry, the appointment of the holder of the portfolio of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, comes to recognize "his exceptional leadership and achievements as Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, given that under his management, Angola has experienced significant growth in its oil and gas sector, with upstream production projected to increase by 15 percent between 2022 and 2027".
His strategic initiatives, adds the magazine, "have attracted substantial foreign investment, positioning Angola as a privileged destination for upstream exploration".
In his category, Diamantino Azevedo is competing for the award with three other nominees: Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, Minister of State for Political Affairs of Nigeria; Jimmy Gasore, Minister of Infrastructure of Rwanda; and Ilyas Dawoleh, Minister of Planning, Economy and Finance of Djibouti.
So far, the minister has 22,41 percent of the votes. Ilyas Dawoleh is the leader in the voting in this category (48,28 percent), while Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim and Jimmy Gasore have 13,79 and 15,52 percent, respectively.
Voting is open until the 12th of this month and interested parties can vote here.
"The winners will be announced and formally invited to the 14th African Leadership Magazine Governor of the Year Awards ceremony to receive their trophies and other instruments of honour at a ceremony scheduled for 27 and 28 February 2025, in Casablanca, Morocco, under the theme: 'Inclusive Leadership for an Interconnected Africa: New Paradigms for Future Realities'", says the note from the ministry.
