Tony Elumelu: Giving Young African Entrepreneurs Wings to Fly
Obinna Chima extols the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, who recently turned 60, with highlights of his contribution towards the development of entrepreneurship in Africa.
The Founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Mr. Tony Elumelu, last week marked his 60th birthday, a ceremony that attracted friends, colleagues, families as well as entrepreneurs that had benefited from his Foundation.
Beyond the merriment, the occasion afforded the beneficiaries of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) an opportunity to shower encomiums on Elumelu and the Foundation for contributing to the transformation of their respective businesses.
Among the beneficiaries of TEEP is Nyong Clement, the Founder, Cameroon Safety Services (CSS) International, who lost his job in 2016. In his dejected state at the tike, he applied for the TEEP and was fortunate to be selected.
Clement used the occasion of Elumelu’s birthday ceremony to recount how TEF came to his rescue, restored his lost hope and gave him an opportunity to launch back to success.
“I applied for the programme and out of the 93,000 that applied that year, I was selected. Not only that, after receiving training from the TEF, we had our first client which was Dangote Cement in Cameroon and thereafter, a lot of multinationals followed up,” he said.
He also narrated how he was able to contribute to job creation in his country.
Similarly, Yaw Abul Busari, a poultry farmer in Ghana, narrated how the training she got from TEF helped in de-risking her business, which she started with only 300 chickens.
“My poultry farm was producing 2,000 eggs weekly before the support from TEF, and after going through the TEEP, with a seed capital of $5,000, today, the firm produces over 12,000 pieces of eggs weekly and we have created jobs for persons within my locality,” she added.
Also, Sama Irene, a Cameroonian and Founder of Reine Foods Enterprise, explained that before she got the support from TEF, she was a local business woman, producing manually.
According to her, after undergoing training and got financial support from the TEF, her business became more structured.
“We got a production machine and we are no longer producing manually. Not only that, our revenue moved from almost nothing, to thousands of dollars and then hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“From that, my company got the opportunity to be at the intra-African Trade Fair in South Africa. I also got selected as part of a women entrepreneurship programme, which just ended last year. We are very grateful and on behalf of African entrepreneurs, I say thank you. You gave us hope,” she told Elumelu.
In the same manner, Micheal Biu, who hails from Liberia, and is the Founder of Menina Farmers Incorporated, said, “We started in 2015 without an office, but with lots of ideas. Few years after we applied for the TEF grant, went through the training and became attractive to clients.
“We got the seed capital and invested in a rice business and began to buy rice from smallholder farmers and we were selling to the World Food Programme who were in turn distributing it to schools.
“We later invested in the oil palm industry and won another grant from the UNDP. Today, we are making an impact in Africa,” he explained.
For Elumelu, the motivation behind his African philanthropic initiative which had committed $100 million to create 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa, is to democraticise luck and create access to economic opportunities for young Africans.
“Africa is a continent of entrepreneurs and I encourage it. My own story validates that. Today’s Tony Elumelu started from nowhere. And I just imagine if 100,000 or a million across Africa will have this kind of opportunity in 10 years’ time, it will be a different continent.
“That is why the TEF is key. Today, I am lucky to be the Chairman of the UBA Group that operates in 20 African countries, in Paris, London, Dubai and is the only African bank in United States of America and all over America that has a deposit taking license.
“I did not start like that. I was not a billionaire’s son. We created this out of sheer entrepreneurism.
“I see in Africa today, more people more determined than I was in their age. The difference between those guys and Tony Elumelu of today is access to opportunities.
“And that is what I want to create. That is what I am mobilising others in the private sector in particular to do. Let’s team up and do something that will be impactful. Let’s think about legacy and less about what we will have in our bank accounts. But as we do, we need our government to also prioritise the kind of policy that will make this succeed,” Elumelu said.
Elumelu became a bank chief executive at the age of 34, one of the youngest in the industry at that time, by a dint of hard work and luck.
In celebration of this special gift to Nigeria and Africa, some world leaders, presidents of African countries, business moguls and his family members extolled the leadership and entrepreneurial spirit of Elumelu, as he marked his 60th birthday.
In their remarks, his wife, Dr. Awele Elumelu and children prayed that God would continue to strengthen and empower Elumelu, who is also the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, to do more for the continent.
In his goodwill message, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, wrote, “It is a great pleasure for me to write to you on this very special occasion, as it allows me to once again acknowledge the outstanding efforts put in place by your Foundation and yourself to support a vision of African entrepreneurship that we both share and to strengthen the continent’s position in the global economy.
“In particular, your empowerment of the youth across the African continent, by enabling them to fulfil their ambitions in business and academia bears a pivotal role for Africa’s future. I can therefore only commend the Tony Elumelu Foundation for the numerous initiatives and unquestionable positive impact it has as a leading philanthropic organisation.
“Thanks to you, your companies have appointed many women at the highest positions and your Foundation has engaged in several initiatives with major stakeholders, including the European Union, to drive women’s leadership and entrepreneurship in Africa.”
Also, former US President, Bill Clinton, in his goodwill message to the Founder of TEF, wrote, “Hilary and I are glad to join your family, friends and admirers from around the world in wishing you a very happy 60th birthday. From your successful career in business to your amazing work with your Foundation, you have accomplished so very much throughout your first remarkable six decades.
“It has been very inspiring for us to see your passion for philanthropy up close, and to watch as you empower a rising generation of entrepreneurs across Africa.”
Similarly, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, said, “I have had the great privilege of working with Tony in the past, through our Foundations and in particular, the Blair-Elumelu Fellowship Programme. I have always come away from spending time with him, inspired, energised and grateful for his wisdom and insights.
“Our thinking aligns in so many ways. We have a shared optimism for the future. We believe in the transformative power of tech and innovation and the importance of entrepreneurialism as a means of solving many of the world’s problems, from healthcare to education to climate. Above all, we all believe in the importance of clear priorities, clear strategy and clear mechanisms for delivery; to put it simply, the importance of getting things done.”
The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, told Elumelu that, “year 60 is a moment to reflect on lessons accrued over the course of your life and pass this wisdom to the next generation. That has been the focus of your philanthropic work and it would be an understatement to say that the TEF has had an impact.”
He added: “By funding, training and mentoring young African entrepreneuers, the Foundation is creating jobs, driving innovation and building self-reliance. The Foundation’s biggest contribution is empowering young women and men to lead, reminding them that Africa’s future rests in their hands. On this day, and looking back on over a decade of knowing you, I can only encourage you to continue the good work and hope that others are inspired to emulate your example.”
President of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo, said he was happy to join well-wishers around the world in wishing a patriotic Nigerian and an extraordinary son of Africa a happy birthday.
“His reach has surpassed the boundaries of Jos, in Plateau State, where he was born, and he has positively impacted the lives of thousands and thousands of youths all over the continent,” he added.
Football legend and President of Liberia, George Weah, in his goodwill message to Elumelu, wrote, “I have known you for many years, Tony, and our paths have cross many times. On each and every one of those occasions, I have been impressed with the breadth of your passion. You have been able to establish and grow to prominence one of Africa’s largest and most successful pan-African financial services group, the United Bank for Africa. We applaud you for this singular achievement.”
Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, congratulated Elumelu on the occasion of his 60th birthday anniversary.
“This is a milestone and I join your family, friends and well-wishers in recognising a life characterised by outstanding accomplishments, visible productivity and remarkable experiences throughout your 60 years on this earth under God’s grace. Over the years, since I was elected President of Nigeria in 1999, I have watched you grow in life and in business with much admiration,” Obasanjo said.
He also commenced Elumelu’s visionary leadership through the transformation of UBA from a single-country bank to a Pan-African financial institution present in 20 African countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and United Arab Emirates as well as the TEF.
Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu, described Elumelu as a principled man of character, adding that “one of his primary attributes is courage. He never backs down from a challenge and will not entertain the idea that a thing is impossible. Tony strives from the stars through difficulty and that is how he reached where he is.”
Founder and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, pointed out that Elumelu’s visionary leadership in business, philanthropy and many other areas continue to inspire and motivate millions of people, especially young people, to follow their dreams and aspire for excellence.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, stressed that Nigeria needs the likes of Elumelu, who dedicated himself to philanthropic activities and changed the lives of many.
Also, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives, congratulated the entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The caucus led by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, described the celebrant as an exceptionally patriotic Nigerian; resilient spirit; an undisputed trailblazer with astonishing insight and extraordinary capacity to achieve success even in the face of daunting challenges.
Famous Nigerian poet, Deji Ige, in his poetic rendition, described Elumelu as a man “whose destiny is written in hard work, sweat and struggle.
“His name is a reminder that no one knows tomorrow – Onyemaechi,” he said, reading from a scroll.
Describing Elumelu as an enigma, Ige noted that “never depending on luck, Elumelu rolled his sleeves in the face of hard work and built an empire of prosperous men and women who walk tall across Africa.
“Tony Elumelu, I call you Araba, for you are the tree which offers rest to those who are weary. You bring good news to the ears of many and the ray of hope when there is darkness.”
He added, “You are the womb that conceive the dreams of the young and old, kindreds and strangers, for their success to see the light of the day.
“For your sake, Africa can beat her chest to say, I have raised the legendary son of the soil, fortune maker, who dedicates his life to raising fortune makers and the pedestal on which the Africa of our dream can stand,” he added.
