(http://edge.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Goodluck-Jonathan1.jpg)Time magazine has listed Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan as one of the 100 Most Influential Persons in the World.
Jonathan is the only African leader on the list, published on Wednesday. It is also the cover story of the current edition of Time.
The list also includes United States President Barrack Obama; U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton; hacking group, Anonymous; American billionaire, Warren Buffet; German chancellor, Angela Merkel; President of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde; Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khamenei; Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu; footballer, Lionel Messi; Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; new North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un; Syrian President Bashar Assad; American Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul; pop star, Rihanna; fashion designer, Sarah Burton; and Chinese heir apparent, Xi Jinping.
The list was chosen through voting by Time readers from around the world.
The citation on Jonathan, written by Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, reads, "Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan exemplifies the African political renaissance at a time when the people of the continent are starting to reap the fruit of their resources and their hard work.
"President Jonathan, 54, possesses the qualities needed at this moment of great challenges, having come to power at a crucial moment in the history of Nigeria. The country has grown out of its past of corruption, mismanagement and brutality, but the foundation of good governance is still fragile.
"In two short years, President Jonathan has shown the same dexterity he demonstrated as governor of Bayelsa, the same ability to find the remedies to the many complexities of running a nascent democracy.
"He has spearheaded the fight against corruption and turned Nigeria into an example of good governance. He has also made a significant impact on consolidating peace and security in West Africa. From the onset of our own crisis, Liberia has benefitted from the support of Nigeria.
"President Jonathan not only upheld the trend but added to it. With leaders like President Jonathan, Africa is sure to move toward prosperity, freedom and dignity for all of its people."
The full list below:
Jeremy Lin
Christian Marclay
Viola Davis
Salman Khan
Tim Tebow
E.L. James
Louis CK
Rihanna
Marco Rubio
Ali Ferzat
René Redzepi
Kristen Wiig
Anthony Kennedy
Novak Djokovic
Ben Rattray
Jessica Chastain
Yani Tseng
Raphael Saadiq
Elinor Ostrom
Samira Ibrahim
José Andrés
Ann Patchett
Dulce Matuz
Henrik Schärfe
Freeman Hrabowski
Maryam Durani
Manal al-Sharif
Anjali Gopalan
Rached Ghannouchi
Barbara Van Dahlen
Ron Fouchier
Donald Sadoway
Hans Rosling
Asghar Farhadi
Sarah Burton
Anonymous
Pete Cashmore
Cami Anderson
Ali Babacan and Ahmet Davutoglu
Ai-jen Poo
Marc Andreessen
Preet Bharara
Robert Grant
Andrew Lo
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Alexei Navalny
Ray Dalio
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani
Chelsea Handler
Harvey Weinstein
Chen Lihua
Warren Buffett
Alice Walton
Harold Hamm
Sheryl Sandberg
Sara Blakely
Eike Batista
Tim Cook
Daniel Ek
Virginia Rometty
Barack Obama
Goodluck Jonathan
Xi Jinping
Fatou Bensouda
Christine Lagarde
Mario Draghi
U Thein Sein
Ayatullah Ali Khamenei
Mitt Romney
Juan Manuel Santos
Timothy Dolan
Portia Simpson Miller
Mario Monti
Wang Yang
Maria das Graças Silva Foster
Andrew Cuomo
Iftikhar Chaudhry
Mamata Banerjee
Walter Isaacson
Ron Paul
Benjamin Netanyahu
Dilma Rousseff
Erik Martin
Cecile Richards
Angela Merkel
Lionel Messi
Tilda Swinton
Hillary Clinton
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Pippa Middleton
Adele
Matt Lauer
Oscar Pistorius
Claire Danes
Stephen Colbert
Kim Jong Un
Mullah Mohammed Omar and Sheik Moktar Ali Zubeyr
Bashar Assad
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