Kola Masha is the founder of Babban Gona, the first for-profit social enterprise in history to be awarded the prestigious Skoll Award, due to its financial sustainability and highly scalable impact. The organization is part-owned by the farmers they serve.

Drawing on a rich cultural and personal history, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò studies philosophy of law, social and political philosophy, Marxism, and African and Africana philosophy.

A powerhouse of scientific leadership in Africa, Christian Happi sequences and studies the genomes of infectious diseases like Ebola, HIV and coronavirus.

'Gbenga Sesan empowers underserved people with information and communications technology.

Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature.

A qualified physician with more than 15 years of experience in private practice, Dr. Kemi DaSilva-Ibru dedicates her time to addressing the needs of girls and women.

Achenyo Idachaba is the head of MitiMeth, a Nigeria-based company that makes handicrafts from aquatic weeds and other agro-waste.

Through her work in food and agriculture, and as a leadership development mentor, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is building economies in West Africa.

A respected global economist, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's parents instilled in her the value of service to others.

Newton Aduaka's award-winning Ezra, told through the eyes of a young boy in Sierra Leone, illuminates one of the most harrowing consequences of war: the recruitment of child soldiers.

Pierre Thiam shares the cuisine of his home in Senegal through global restaurants and highly praised cookbooks.

Laolu Senbanjo's motto is: “Everything is my canvas.”

Magatte Wade creates jobs in Africa -- and calls attention to the obstacles to job creation on the continent.

Anand Giridharadas writes about people and cultures caught amid the great forces of our time.

Ernest Madu founded the Heart Institute of the Caribbean, a revolutionary clinic for cardiovascular diseases in Kingston, Jamaica -- revolutionary for offering first-class health care in a developing nation. His next stop: Nigeria.

Janine di Giovanni reports from war zones around the world.

Zachariah Mampilly is an expert on the politics of both violent and non-violent resistance.

Ken Goldberg works reflect the intersection of robotics, social media, and art.

Gloria Kasang Bulus has dedicated her life to promoting environmental ethics, sustainable use of natural resources and preserving the natural environment for future generations.

Yasmin Green is the director of research and development for Jigsaw, a unit within Alphabet Inc. focused on solving global security challenges through technology.

Imprisoned three times by the Nigerian government, Chris Abani turned his experience into poems that Harold Pinter called "the most naked, harrowing expression of prison life and political torture imaginable." His novels include GraceLand (2004) and The Virgin of Flames (2007).

Aditi Gupta uses storytelling and art to educate young girls about menstruation.

Adeola Fayehun combines her passion for activism with her training in journalism to tell African stories on YouTube with humor.

With a background as an acrobat and dancer, Qudus Onikeku is one of the preeminent Nigerian choreographers working today.

With her lustrous voice and wide-ranging musical curiosity, Somi spins elegant vocal jazz from African legacies.

Wale Elegbede is a strategist who believes good, ethical leaders have a responsibility to bring positive change to their communities, organizations and families.

Stephanie Busari is a journalist and editor at CNN International Digital.

Anand Agarawala's job: to imagine and build the computers you'll use in 20 years.

In her writings, Taiye Selasi explores our relationship to our multiple identities.

Leo Igwe works to end a variety of human rights violations that are rooted in superstition, including witchcraft accusations, anti-gay hate, caste discrimination and ritual killing.