Mo Ibrahim

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Mo Ibrahim (1946 — ) is a Sudanese-born British mobile communications entrepreneur and founder of Celtel.

Mohamed Ibrahim undertook higher studies in Egypt, which brought him an engineering degree at the University of Alexandria. He then returned to his home country to work for the state operator, Sudan Telecom. At the age of 26, he left for the United Kingdom with the objective of obtaining a higher degree. ^[1]

Ibrahim worked for British Telecom before founding MSI a consultancy and software company, which was bought by Marconi in 2000, before launching an African mobile phone company, Celtel, and amassing a personal fortune estimated at more than $650m. He sold CelTel to the Kuwait-based MTC for $3.4bn (£1.8bn) in 2005.

[edit] Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership

Through his charitable foundation, the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership is offered to Africa's political leaders, a $5-million prize and a $200,000 stipend for life. The award will go to African heads of state who deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents, and who democratically transfer power to their successor. ^[2]

It would be the world's richest prize - exceeding the $1.3m (£700,000) awarded by the Nobel Peace Prize.

Harvard University will assess how well the president has served his or her people while in office.

Nelson Mandela, former US President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan are among those who have welcomed the initiative. Africa has one of the world's richest concentrations of minerals and precious metals, yet 300 million of its residents live on less than a dollar a day. ^[3]