- Former Botswana President wins the largest prize in the world

Former Botswana President wins the largest prize in the world

Festus Gontebanye Mogae, the former President of Botswana, has been announced today as the winner of the 2008 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Established to recognize and celebrate excellence in African leadership, the Ibrahim Prize is the largest annually awarded prize in the world, consisting of US$5 million over 10 years and US$200,000 annually for life thereafter. The Foundation will consider granting a further $200,000 per year for ten years towards public interest activities and good causes espoused by the Laureate.

Announcing the 2008 Ibrahim Laureate in front of an audience of London's African diplomatic community, civil society representatives and the media, Kofi Annan, the Chair of the Prize Committee, said: "President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/AIDS pandemic which threatened the future of his country and people." Read More.