Africa’s foremost champion of entrepreneurship, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), will again host the world in July at its 5th Annual Forum.
According to a press release signed by TEF CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, Abuja, the federal capital will be hosting the two-day event at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
The TEF Forum is the culmination of the annual Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, which had over the years mentored, trained and seeded thousands of selected young Africans.
Since inception, the event had provided 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 thereby creating a new generation of African business leaders, who are transforming Africa’s economic trajectory
The release stated further that the 2019 edition which would be hosted in Abuja for the first time, is expected to feature leading policymakers, business leaders, development agencies and alumni of the Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme.
The statement partly reads: “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,” She said.
“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.”She added.