The
Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s foremost champion of entrepreneurship,
will host its 5th Annual Forum — the largest annual gathering of African
entrepreneurs – on July 26 – 27, 2019. The two-day event will take place at the
iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The
Forum is the culmination of the annual Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship
Programme, which this year mentored, trained and seeded over 3,000 young Africans,
selected from over [216,000] applicants. The event provides a unique
opportunity for young women and men, from all 54 African countries, to meet,
learn and network with the broader African and global entrepreneurship
ecosystem. It is also a critical opportunity for political leaders and policy
makers to meet, face to face, a new generation of African business leaders, who
are transforming Africa’s economic trajectory.
Keynote
speakers at the highly anticipated Forum include His Excellency Paul Kagame,
President of Rwanda, and His Excellency Macky Sall, President of Senegal, who
will join Tony O. Elumelu, CON, TEF Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and
the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in an intimate open house discussion. The
Presidential Convening is a highlight of the Forum, allowing the African
entrepreneurs in attendance to closely engage with political leaders, to give
first hand testimony of the important role government can play in catalysing
growth and encouraging business ambition.
The
Forum agenda includes masterclasses and panel discussions with leading speakers
and sector experts, from Africa and globally, who will engage attendees in
specialised training sessions to share insights, deepen their knowledge and
refine their skills. The Forum will also feature a pitching event, where select
entrepreneurs will deliver exciting presentations on the goods and services
they provide to a distinguished judging panel.
For
first time the Forum will be hosted in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria
and will bring together leading policymakers, business leaders, development
agencies and the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem including alumni of the
Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme. Last year, a significant highlight was
the launch of TEFConnect, the digital networking platform for African
entrepreneurs, which provides a unique digital hub for the African
entrepreneurship, facilitating networking, mentorship and most importantly
business beyond borders. Previous Forums have been headlined by African
leaders, including President of Ghana, HE Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Kenya,
HE Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of Nigeria, HE Olusegun Obasanjo, Former
Prime Minister of Benin and TEF Advisory Board Member, HE Lionel Zinsou, Vice
President of Nigeria, HE Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
The
Tony Elumelu Foundation’s determination to bring change in scale, across Africa
and its relentless focus on entrepreneurship is rooted in the inclusive
philosophy of Africapitalism, created by its Founder, which recognizes
economically empowering Africa’s youth — the continent’s future wealth creators
— and thereby creating sustainable economic and social wealth, as one of the
most pressing issues of the 21st century. In 2015, the Foundation committed $100 million to empower 10,000 entrepreneurs from across the
continent, over 10 years. Now in the 5th year, the Foundation has funded,
mentored and provided business management training to over 7,500 start-ups and
small businesses, from all 54 countries in Africa.
“The
TEF Entrepreneurship Forum will not just convene the most important
stakeholders in the African entrepreneurship ecosystem, it provides an opportunity
for everyone to make a commitment to advance entrepreneurship and scale the
impact of our entrepreneurs if we are to accelerate the development of the
continent,” TEF CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu said.
She
added: “We are constantly inspired by the stories we receive from our
entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, employing people and impacting their local
communities and ultimately, the continent. We believe that these entrepreneurs
are our future. Invest in them now and reap the Africa of our dreams tomorrow.
This is what we are committed to.”
For
more information on the Forum, please visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org.
