Global leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as numerous leaders from the public and private sectors, recently came together to commend the exceptional contributions of the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Tony Elumelu, to youth development and entrepreneurship in Africa.
These leaders expressed their admiration for Elumelu, who also serves as the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, recognising his commitment to youth empowerment, advocacy for entrepreneurship, and dedication to the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across the continent.
These accolades were bestowed upon Elumelu during the TEF-UNDP breakfast roundtable meeting held on the sidelines of the ongoing 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
This gathering also served as the platform for the launch of the TEF Impact Report titled “The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme: A Decade of Impact.”
Tinubu, represented by the minister of industry, trade and investment Doris Uzoka-Anite, urged other capable Africans to follow in the footsteps of Elumelu by investing in youth empowerment. She stressed the importance of ensuring that the continent becomes self-reliant and no longer depends on foreign donors, highlighting Elumelu’s role in driving investments, supporting SMEs, and promoting youth entrepreneurship and start-ups.
Sanwo-Olu, in agreement with the minister, noted Elumelu’s efforts in empowering and building the youth. He said these efforts align perfectly with Lagos State’s initiatives for economic empowerment and poverty reduction.
UNDP’s assistant secretary-general and director of the regional bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, expressed her immense inspiration by Elumelu’s vision for African youth. She emphasised the shared passion between UNDP and Elumelu in promoting human development and providing opportunities for individuals to shape their destinies.
Eziakonwa explained the reason behind UNDP’s continued partnership with TEF, highlighting the potential impact of having 10 individuals like Elumelu each investing $100 million in young people over the next decade. She stressed the tremendous success achieved on the continent with limited investment and envisioned the continent’s unstoppable potential if such efforts were multiplied.
She assured participants of UNDP’s continued excitement about partnering with TEF and the intention to elevate this partnership to new heights, emphasising their commitment to this cause.
The meeting provided a platform for global leaders to engage in discussions on critical issues. Among the participants were the representative of the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the chief executive officer of Generation Unlimited, UNICEF Kevin Frey, and many others. They all concurred that Elumelu’s achievements and his passion for youth empowerment deserved unequivocal recognition.
In his presentation, Elumelu commended all partners, including UNICEF, UNDP, and UBA, acknowledging UBA’s significant support. He reminded the audience of the inception of TEF seed capital funding, emphasising its roots in his vision to effect change in Africa using African solutions.
Elumelu articulated the collective goal: “to see young entrepreneurs in Africa build sustainable businesses for themselves and generate viable green jobs so that our young ones are not left behind in the inevitable green economy that the world will transition to.”
He passionately called for increased collaboration to prioritise young Africans, foster economic activities, and alleviate poverty. He stressed the importance of the beacon lit by TEF and the need for it to shine even brighter with the support and collaboration of everyone. He stressed the urgency of providing economic support to young Africans, addressing the impact of climate change, and ending the migration and hardships faced by the continent’s youth.
