Sierra Leonean academic and development expert Dr. Ibrahim Bangura has been named among Africa’s 100 Most Reputable Africans for 2026 by the Global Reputation Forum, in partnership with Reputation Poll International.
The annual ranking recognises Africans whose work reflects public trust, integrity, leadership and measurable impact across sectors including governance, innovation, education, social impact and economic transformation.
Bangura was recognised in the Knowledge, Education and Innovation category, which honours academics, researchers and innovators contributing to knowledge creation and solutions to Africa’s development challenges.
According to the organisers, the assessment evaluates reputation based on leadership credibility, public trust, innovation and social influence. The 2026 list includes figures from across the continent drawn from academia, public service, enterprise, culture and civil society.
Bangura, an associate professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, has more than 18 years’ experience in peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery and development policy. He is also a senior partner at Transition International, a Netherlands-based consultancy firm.
Since 2010, he has worked as a Results-Oriented Monitoring consultant on European Union-funded programmes across more than 30 African countries, including South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. He also facilitates training at institutions such as the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana.
Bangura has published widely on governance, youth engagement and peacebuilding, including Youth-Led Social Movements and Peacebuilding in Africa (Routledge, 2022) and academic work on corruption and underdevelopment in Africa.
The Global Reputation Forum said the inclusion of scholars and innovators on the list underscores the role of credible knowledge leadership in shaping Africa’s development agenda and strengthening its global profile.
Bangura’s recognition comes as Sierra Leone seeks to expand its contribution to research, policy development and higher education on the continent.
