The
Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading African philanthropy committed to
empowering African entrepreneurs, on Friday announced 3,050 African
entrepreneurs, drawn from all 54 African countries, selected to join the 5th
cycle of its $100 million TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.
The
announcement was made at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, following a presentation
of the selection process by Accenture Development Partners.
This
year, over 216,000 applications were received, an increase from last year’s
151,000. Nearly 90,000 were submitted by female entrepreneurs, an increase of
45%, illustrating the Foundation’s strategy to achieve greater gender balance.
The
selected Entrepreneurs will each receive non- refundable $5,000 of seed
capital, access to mentors, and a 12-week business training programme, directly
focused on the needs of African entrepreneurs. On July 26 – 27 2019, they will
gather at the TEF Entrepreneurship Forum, the largest annual gathering of
African entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurship ecosystem on the continent.
TEF
Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, CON, who celebrated his birthday on Friday, said: “Every year, we face an almost impossible
task – to select 1,000 entrepreneurs, from the hundreds of thousands that
apply. Our entrepreneurs are hungry to effect change. We know we are only
scratching the surface, we see the depth of entrepreneurial talent, that all of
us – government, business and indeed African society, must harness to transform
our economies and livelihoods. We must rally together to empower them and
accelerate the change we want on the continent”.
In her
speech, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the wife of the President, Federal
Republic of Nigeria, commended the Programme’s impact on the continent,
charging the selected entrepreneurs to contribute to the advancement of the
African continent.
“Indeed, I am confident that these Tony Elumelu entrepreneurs
will inspire deep confidence and be of immense value not just to Nigeria but to
the entire continent,” she said.
Speaking
on the announcement, the incoming CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, said, “The Tony Elumelu Foundation
Entrepreneurship Programme has successfully empowered 7,520 entrepreneurs in
its first five years of the 10- year programme.
Marking
the fifth anniversary of the 10-year programme, this year’s selection includes
2,050 entrepreneurs, supported by the Foundation’s partners in addition to the
Foundation’s annual commitment of 1,000, bringing the total number of
entrepreneurs empowered by the Foundation to date to 7,520.
Last
year, we launched TEFConnect - the digital networking platform for African
entrepreneurs and open to all - to further democratize the access to
opportunities for the thousands of entrepreneurs that cannot directly benefit
from our Entrepreneurship Programme. This further demonstrates our commitment
to empowering our entrepreneurs and our belief that entrepreneurship holds the
key to unleashing the true potential of the African continent", she said.
The
Foundation’s growing list of partners includes the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the
Federal Republic of Benin (Seme City), the Anambra State Government, Indorama,
the Government of Botswana and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
For a
list of the selected 2019 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs and information on our
applicants, please visit tefconnect.com.
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TEF 1: Wife to the President of Nigeria, Mrs
Aisha Buhari(3rd right); Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation(TEF),
Mr. Tony Elumelu(5th right; and Trustee , TEF; Dr Awele
Elumelu(2nd right) flanked from extreme left by the representatives
of partners by Head Marketing and Communications, CEDA Botswana Mrs Anno
Tshipa; Resident Representative of UNDP in Nigeria, Khardiata Lo Ndiaye;
Director, Human Capital Youth and Skills, African Development Bank(AfDB),
Mrs Olle Dibba Wadda; and Managing Director, Seme City Develiopment Agency,
Claude Borna, during the announcement of 3,050 entrepreneurs of the
5th cycle of Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme held
in Abuja on Friday
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TEF 2: Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation(TEF), Mr. Tony
Elumelu; Wife to the President of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Buhari; and Trustee
, TEF; Dr Awele Elumelu, during the announcement of 3,050 entrepreneurs
of the 5th cycle of Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship
Programme held in Abuja on Friday
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TEF 3: l-r: Incoming CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation
(TEF), Mrs Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu; Outgoing CEO, Mrs Parminder Vir; Wife to the
President of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Buhari; Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation(TEF),
Mr. Tony Elumelu; and Trustee , TEF; Dr Awele Elumelu, during the
announcement of 3,050 entrepreneurs of the 5th cycle of Tony Elumelu
Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme held in Abuja on Friday
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TEF 4: Wife to the President of
Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Buhari(4th left); Founder, The Tony Elumelu
Foundation(TEF), Mr. Tony Elumelu(5th right); Trustee , TEF; Dr
Awele Elumelu(3rd Right); flanked from Extreme left by Incoming CEO,
TEF, Mrs Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu; Outgoing CEO, Mrs Parminder Vir; Israel Ambassador
to Nigeria, Mr. Shalom Ben-Shoshan; Deputy Ambassador of Kenya to Nigeria ,
Amb. Yvonne, Yamati; and Amanyanabo of Okpoama Kingdom, Chief Ebitimi Banigo
during the announcement of 3,050 entrepreneurs of the 5th cycle of
Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme held in Abuja on Friday
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