Ugandan scientist Dr Matthias Magoola, the founder of Dei BioPharma, has been named among the 100 most influential people in Africa.
He received the honour at a ceremony in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Friday. His company is building one of the region’s largest medicine and vaccine plants.
The organisers said he was recognised for his leadership in biotechnology and for work to reduce Africa’s reliance on imported medicines.
His citation praised his “visionary leadership and groundbreaking innovations” in economic development and healthcare.
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The 100 Africa Most Influential Persons Awards, now in their third year, were organised by the Accra-based Business Executive Media Group with the International Business Council Africa and the African Chamber for Trade. This year’s theme was “Recognising the People Determining Africa’s Socio-Economic Direction”.
The gala at Kigali’s M Hotel brought together honourees from countries including Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. They work in fields ranging from business and law to healthcare and community development.
Dr Baroness Paulette Kporo, who chairs Business Executive Media Group, said the awards honoured people whose conduct, achievements and positions of authority had shaped the continent’s economic, political and cultural direction.
“As a region integrated into the global community of nations and the emergent global economy, we honour those who have greatly influenced specific communities, sectors of socio-economic activity, segments of society, or geographical regions,” she said.
The organisers say research consultants first draw up findings on candidates. A 12-member jury of experts in economic, political, cultural and diplomatic affairs then makes the final selection. The jury considers each nominee’s impact across the continent, within their region and at home, as well as their role in Africa’s relations with the rest of the world.
University of Rwanda Vice-Chancellor Prof Didas Muganga Kayihura presided over the ceremony. He urged African institutions to innovate in ways that strengthen the continent’s economies.
Africa imports most of the medicines and vaccines it uses, a weakness exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The African Union has set a target for the continent to make at least 60% of its own health products by 2040.
Dr Magoola’s company is among the firms working towards that goal.
Dei BioPharma, which he founded in 2014, is developing a 250-acre manufacturing campus in Matugga, Wakiso District, north of Kampala. The company says the campus will eventually house about 30 factories.
The firm says it has submitted 65 product applications to Uganda’s National Drug Authority. Forty have been approved for manufacture and 14 for sale.
Speaking after Friday’s ceremony, Dr Magoola dedicated the award to Uganda and its leadership.
“We are grateful for this recognition and for the support from everyone, especially His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni,” he said.
“Without his unwavering support, these milestones would not be possible. These achievements belong to Uganda, and specifically to our president, who has always stood by the scientists of this country.”
The Kigali award caps a strong month for the company.
On 1 September, Dei BioPharma became a registered manufacturer under the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism. The scheme is run by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and combines orders from African governments to give local drug makers a larger and more predictable market.
The listing lasts five years and allows the company to bid for continental supply contracts. Dr Magoola has said it marks the firm’s shift from building infrastructure to developing regulated products that can be sold beyond Uganda.
His stated priorities are affordable cancer treatment, reducing Africa’s dependence on imported vaccines and training a new generation of African researchers.
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He has filed more than 100 patent applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office. They cover treatments and vaccines for cancer, HIV/Aids, Alzheimer’s disease, sickle cell anaemia, malaria, tuberculosis and diabetes. According to the company, more than 70 have been published by the US office.
In August, he lodged seven further applications for a family of mRNA cancer vaccines. The company says the vaccines would be made in advance and aimed at genetic changes that recur across groups of patients, rather than designed separately for each person.
Another published application is for a vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious illness that causes heavy losses for cattle farmers across East Africa. Dr Magoola says a locally made vaccine could save Uganda billions of shillings now spent on imports.
The Kigali honour follows a 2025 Ratna Pharma Award in India for vaccine research. In December 2024, he was also named best researcher of the year at the International Molecular Biologist Awards for his work on mRNA-based drugs and vaccines.