Renowned Sierra Leonean economist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr. Yakama Manty Jones has been nominated for the 2024 African Genius Awards, one of Africa’s most prestigious awards founded in South Africa by Priority Performance Projects.
Dr. Yakama Manty Jones is now the twelfth Sierra Leonean to make it to the list of final nominees of the awards since it was launched in 2021, making Sierra Leone the country with the most nominees in the awards’ history.
Who Is Dr Yakama Manty Jones?
Dr Yakama Manty Jones is a consultant in Development, Finance, International Business, Economic Policy, and Project Management.
Her educational journey, with a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Economics, earned at the young age of nineteen from Fourah Bay College, is complemented by post-graduate qualifications from prestigious institutions like the University of Manchester and the University of London.
Dr Jones’ research interests span Development Economics, International Business, Human Capital Development, and utilizing innovative systems approaches for enhancing public service delivery.
As an entrepreneur, Dr. Jones co-founded the Peninsular Innovative Group, making significant strides in the shipping, manufacturing, and agri-business industries in Sierra Leone.
Her commitment to empowering youth and female-owned businesses aligns with the ethos of positive economic transformation. Beyond her professional endeavours, Dr. Jones has established the Yak Jones Foundation, showcasing her dedication to philanthropy and education.
Through her foundation, she promotes literacy by fostering a reading culture among children in Sierra Leone, organizing competitions, forming book clubs, and donating mobile libraries to schools in remote areas.
Dr Jones’ commitment to education and literacy has directly benefited thousands of children, demonstrating her commitment to sustainable social impact.
She is recognized globally as a thought leader, evidenced by her inclusion in the 100 Women West Africa list, being one of the 50 Most Influential Young Sierra Leoneans, and her invitations to speak at prestigious institutions such as the UNFPA, the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and the World Bank.
Dr Jones’ commitment to continuous learning is evident through her participation in executive education programs at institutions like Harvard Kennedy School and MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
She actively mentors young professionals, embodying the spirit of knowledge sharing and nurturing the next generation of leaders.
About The African Genius Awards
The African Genius Awards was launched in 2021 by Priority Performance Projects to celebrate and recognize outstanding achievements in science, technology, arts, and culture across the African continent.
The awards seek to promote and inspire excellence, innovation, and creativity among Africans, and to showcase the talent and ingenuity of the continent’s people.
Since its establishment, eight Africans have won the awards. Dr. Denis Mukwege, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Professor Wole Soyinka, Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe (in posthumous), Aliko Mohammed Dangote, Bantu Stephen Biko (in posthumous), and Professor Ali Mazrui – have all won the African Genius Awards.
The awards event is scheduled to take place in September this year in West Africa, making it the first time the African Genius Awards will be held outside South Africa. The host country is yet to be announced by the organizers but reliable sources have told me the announcement will happen very soon.
Plus94 Research, University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, Fourah Bay College, Gordon Institute of Business Science, 702, The African Dream, Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institutes – are partners of the awards.