Tony Elumelu Storytellers Initiative Boasts More Female Creatives

Heirs Insurance Limited (HIL) and Heirs Life Assurance (HLA), in partnership with Africa No Filter (ANF), recently announced 17 young creatives from across Africa as recipients of the Tony Elumelu Storytellers Fund, a CSR initiative sponsored by the two insurance companies.

Out of the 17 finalists, chosen from 3,600 entries, 60 per cent are female and 40 per cent male. They are selected from 12 African countries and will receive grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 each to develop projects that highlight entrepreneurship in Africa and challenge the negative stereotypes that often pervade the continent. Working with ANF, they will begin work on their submitted projects ranging from film to visual arts, journalism, and digital content creation.

Chief Marketing Officer, Ifesinachi Okpagu, of both companies while congratulating the finalists, reiterated the project’s mission to place Africa firmly on the map. “We commend the finalists of the Tony Elumelu Storytellers Fund on their ideas and commitment to this joint mission. We are confident that this CSR initiative will progressively change the often-negative stereotype about Africa. Heirs Insurance and Heirs Life have been at the forefront of democratising access to insurance, and this starts with empowering people, especially our youth. This is why we are proud to sponsor this project and create a platform for young people to change the future for the better. We will support all finalists to make their project a reality.”

The fund, named after the African business leader and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, is an independent initiative that aims to empower Africa’s youth and their creative ideas to redefine African success stories. Heirs Insurance and Heirs Life, both subsidiaries of Heirs Holdings, a pan-African investment group, are on a mission to democratize access to insurance and have been leading digital insurance providers in Nigeria.