History's greatest Africans

There has been an outbreak in the last decade of television shows called "History's Greatest People" from such-and-such country. The South African list is here, with Nelson Mandela at the top. I am not sure if other African countries have got round to it yet. I reckon that I could produce a top five quickly for South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria, and with a bit more consideration for DR Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Most Sub-Saharan countries have a disadvantage for the lists in that they became independent only in the 1960s and achievements in pre-colonial history are not extensively recorded or valued. It is entirely possible, even likely, that a seventeenth century community in Central Africa had the same rate of intellectual innovation as Ancient Greece, but its absolute achievements were lagged behind the Western world so valued less. A mediaeval Burundian Archimedes would not register on almost anyone's scale today. And many Africans have been too disadvantaged to achieve their full possibilities.

Subject to this caveat, a long list of (recent) History's Greatest Africans would still be possible. It could include those Africans who have made a global impact in their fields and would be contenders to break into a world top 100. Personally, I would avoid the political figures who tend to crop up in national lists because they are divisive and often morally ambiguous, they have an unfair advantage of a high profile, and every country has someone who wants to give other people orders no matter what their other qualities are. I am not knocking African politicians, there have been many admirable ones, but generally I would exclude them. I think that Julius Nyerere should enter a top ten, however, for three exceptional reasons that meet the global impact criteria: he was a developing country socialist who avoided bloodshed; he was an African leader who resigned without a struggle; he helped overthrow Idi Amin.

Away from politics, I think of Ousmane Sembene, a great author and (global impact criteria) a founder of African cinema; and some writers, scientists, social scientists, and sportspeople who have either been creators of their subjects in the continent or have advanced them globally. But the last group is not dead, so I won't mention their names yet, and leave it to television shows in fifty years time.