Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield Named 2025 Recipient of the “Trailblazer for Africa Award”
October 09, 2025
-Award to be presented October 14, 2025, at Africa @ World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.
From a segregated high school in rural Louisiana to the world's most powerful diplomatic forums, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has spent 35 years ensuring that Africa is represented, heard, respected, and centered in global decision-making.
Yaoundé, Cameroon. — October 9, 2025. The Nkafu Policy Institute, in partnership with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Afrobarometer, today announced that Her Excellency Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Trailblazer for Africa Award. The Award will be conferred during Africa @ World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings on October 14, 2025, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.
The Trailblazer for Africa Award honors individuals whose leadership, character, and enduring commitment have measurably advanced Africa’s development. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield was chosen for her decades of diplomatic service, advocacy for African voices in global forums, and concrete contributions to peace, equity, and justice across the continent. Her record includes service as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (2008–2012)—supporting post-conflict stabilization and institution-building—followed by leadership as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2013–2017), where she helped steer U.S. policy responses to humanitarian crises, public-health emergencies, and political transitions. Her postings in Nigeria, The Gambia, and Kenya, among others, reflect a career grounded in partnership, listening, and the advancement of women and youth.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield exemplifies the courage, clarity of purpose and steadfast dedication to the continent,” said Denis A. Foretia, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS, Co-Chair of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation and Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute. “Her exceptional work over the last four decades has expanded opportunity, strengthened institutions, and championed African perspectives in diverse spaces and we could not be more honored to recognize her with this award.”
The October 14 ceremony will bring together policymakers, business leaders, scholars, and civil-society actors participating in the Africa @ World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings to celebrate leadership and discuss pragmatic pathways for inclusive growth across the continent. Additional program details and registration information are available at https://africa.nkafu.org
About the Trailblazer for Africa Award
The Trailblazer for Africa Award recognizes leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary service to Africa through diplomacy, development, and principled advocacy, and who leave a legacy of enabling African leadership at national and regional levels. Selection criteria include a record of impactful public service, sustained advocacy, and contributions to peace and opportunity—especially for marginalized communities.
About the Nkafu Policy Institute
Nkafu is a leading independent African policy research institution at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation focused on accelerating Africa's economic transformation. It promotes Africa’s prosperity through evidence-informed policymaking, enabling all citizens to thrive in free, fair, democratic, and flourishing economies.
