8 Nigerians make 2019 ‘Forbes 30 under 30 list’

Eight Nigerians have been listed, among other global influencers, in the 2019 `Forbes 30 under 30 list.’

Our correspondent reports that Forbes 30 under 30 is a set of lists issued annually by Forbes magazine and some of its regional editions to recognise business and industry figures.

This year, the list featured 300 trailblazers from 20 industries with average age of 26.8.

Over 55 percent of them are founders or co-founders.

Also, 19 percent of them include immigrants from 57 countries, and 38 of them identifying as first generation Americans.

Nigerians who made the list include Taofeek Abijako, Kayode Ojo, Obi Omile Jr, Adegoke Olubusi, Tito Ovia, Dimeji Sofowora, Olaoluwa Osuntokun and Emmanuel Acho.

Taofeek Abijako is a 20 year-old designer who started his men’s streetwear brand when he was a high school teenager.

Kayode Ojo is a 28 year-old photographer who has had solo shows in Paris, Berlin, New York and Dallas.

Communication expert, Obi Omile Jr. is the co-founder of the Cut, a technology platform that allows users and barbers to schedule and manage appointments.

Meanwhile, Adegoke Olubusi, 25, Tito Ovia, 25, and Dimeji Sofowora, 26 are founders of Helium Health a platform used by 5,000 doctors, with data from 500,000 patients across West Africa.

Olaoluwa Osuntokun, 25, is the cofounder of Lighting Labs which has raised $2.5 million to turn bitcoin into a more viable form of payment by making smaller transactions more cost effective.

Also, Emmanuel Acho, 28, serves as the youngest national football analyst for ESPN and runs a charity that has built a hospital in Nigeria.

Our correspondent reports that the list also features Ghanaian, Shadrack Frimpong, who founded Cocoa360, a ‘farm-for-impact’ model that uses revenues from community cocoa farms to fund educational and healthcare services.

International musicians Post Malone, 23, 21 Savage, 26, photographer Tyler Mitchell, 23 who photographed Beyonce for her Vogue September 2018 cover, and actor Storm Reid, 15 made the list.

It was also reported that the 2019 class have raised over one billion dollars in funding and work an average of 67 hours per week.

77 percent of honorees consider being under the age of 30 an advantage in their career, 89 percent are optimistic about the U.S. economy for startups,

31 percent decided what they wanted to do for a career during university, 22 percent decided as a child, and 10 percent are still deciding.