Obi Ozor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kobo360 Nigeria, has been named by the World Economic Forum as one of its 112 Young Global Leaders, class of 2021.
The Young Global Leaders award is an accelerator programme of the World Economic Forum “for a dynamic community of exceptional people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.”
In announcing the 112 new entrants into the programme on Wednesday, WEF states, “Each year, the World Economic Forum names its new Young Global Leaders.
“We are excited to welcome 112 Young Global Leaders for the Class of 2021.
“From a gender justice and human rights activist to a multi-award winning artist and advocate for indigenous literacy, to a celebrated leader from the world’s youngest country as well as leaders from business, civil society, healthcare and government, meet the new class of YGLs:
“The mission of the Forum of Young Global Leaders is to create a dynamic global community of exceptional people with the vision, courage and influence to drive positive change in the world.
“This group of remarkable people under 40 come from different communities and industries worldwide. We celebrate the individuals in this class of 2021 and the difference they are committed to making globally, particularly at this critical juncture.”
Ozor is one of the nine Africans chosen for the 2021 class, and the only Nigerian.
In its biography of Ozor, WEF describes him as the CEO and co-founder of Kobo360 — an Africa tech enabled logistics startup founded in 2016.
Continuing, WEF said of Ozor, “With over six years of logistics and supply chain experience, he manages all key aspects of Kobo360 including operations, investments, compliance, risk management and product growth.
“Obi completed his Biochemistry degree at the University of Michigan before graduating from the Wharton School of Business.
“After completing his studies, he worked at J.P. Morgan as an investment banker before becoming the Operations Coordinator at Uber Nigeria. In 2016, he left Uber to launch Kobo360, Africa’s fastest-growing digital logistics platform and is building a Global Logistics Operating System [G-LOS], a blockchain-enabled platform to power trade across the African continent.
“In 2019, Obi Ozor was named innovator of the year and young business leader of the year at the CNBC All Africa Business Leaders Awards. In 2020, Obi alongside his co-founder, Ife Oyedele II, was selected to be a part of Endeavor’s global network of high-impact entrepreneurs. He was also named as one of Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 global leaders in technology.”
Speaking on the new class of leaders, Project Specialist, Forum Foundations, World Economic Forum, Sarah Shakour, said, “Over the past year, the world has dealt first hand with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic inequalities, discrepancies in our healthcare systems, economic downturns and education shifting to digital.
“While many leaders call on the need to ‘fix’ what is broken, the more urgent need is to take immediate action. Young leaders around the world are leading by example and paving the way for action on these issues.”
Each year, the Forum of Young Global Leaders goes through a rigorous selection process to identify, select and commemorate remarkable leaders under 40 who come from different communities and industries worldwide. These young leaders exemplify what we need most today: hope, empathy, authenticity and the drive to develop solutions that can change the world for the better.”
The YGL community is made up of more than 1,300 members and alumni, including public officials, business innovators, artists, educators, technology developers, journalists and activists.
