FridayDecember 31, 2021 / 09:24 AM / by TEF / Header ImageCredit: TEF

African entrepreneursfrom all 54 African countries to apply now for the 2021 TEF EntrepreneurshipProgramme on tefconnect.com

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leadingphilanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs across all 54 Africancountries, has opened applications for the 2022 TEF Entrepreneurship Programmeon www.TEFConnect.com. Africanentrepreneurs with business ideas or existing businesses under 5 years, areencouraged to apply now for $5000 seed capital, mentorship, business managementtraining and more on the 2022 Tony Elumelu Foundation EntrepreneurshipProgramme

Since 2015, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme - theonly African-funded entrepreneurship catalyst of its kind - has empowered15,847 African entrepreneurs with non-returnable seed capital of $5,000 each;twelve weeks of business management training; access to experienced mentors;and membership to Africa's largest entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In 2021, the Tony Elumelu Foundation disbursedUSD$24.75 million to 5000 African entrepreneurs across Africa for its 2021Entrepreneurship Programme. The Foundation's Entrepreneurship Programme remainsone of the largest private sector responses to driving the economic recovery ofAfrican youth, women and SMEs given the effects of the covid19 pandemic across Africa. Across Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programmebeneficiaries are starting and growing trailblazing businesses that havecollectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.

According to 2015 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, HauwaLiman, female business owner and Founder of Afrik Abaya: "I am always proud tosay that I am from the inaugural cohort of the Tony Elumelu FoundationEntrepreneurship Programme. My business is located in Kaduna, in northernNigeria. I benefitted from this Programme in 2015, and it opened up lots ofdoors and opportunities. It is not just about the seed capital, but what reallyfascinates me about the Programme is the knowledge. I call it a mini-MBAprogramme, because from the ideation stage it teaches you how to reallyarticulate your business, and it gave me my first business plan. The network,visibility and opportunities are endless. My entrepreneurship experience cannotbe complete without the Tony Elumelu Foundation. I will start exporting to othercountries soon courtesy of the Foundation. We now employ ten permanent staffand an additional eight staff on a commission basis".

Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Tony ElumeluFoundation Entrepreneurship Programme, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation,Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu shared, "We are constantly blown away by the quality ofbusinesses that come from Africa every year. This motivates us to scale ourefforts to empower even more entrepreneurs on continent. The innovation,knowledge and resilience of African entrepreneurs is central to chartingAfrica's socio-economic transformation and meet the continent's developmentobjectives. We are also proud of the increase in female participation on ourProgramme, especially with the 2021 cohort where we witnessed a record 68%selection of women entrepreneurs".

Founding Trustee of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr. AV. Elumelu stated: "Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation EntrepreneurshipProgramme, we seek to democratise luck. Hard work plays an important and undeniablepart in success, but one must not discount the role of luck - someone beingwilling to take a chance on you or business idea by empowering you throughtraining, mentorship or funding. Our hope is that, through the Tony ElumeluFoundation Entrepreneurship Programme, we would help the next business leaderor captain of industry be whom they are meant to be. This is our own way togive back and also to empower the generation coming behind us so that they cango even further than we have. As a parent, one's desire is for your children todo better than you and so you will provide the resources and materials thatthey need to ensure that they go far in life. Similarly, at the Foundation weare equipping the next generation with the tools they need to succeed".

As the foremost champion of entrepreneurship inAfrica, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is empowering women and men across theAfrican continent through entrepreneurship to catalyse economic growth, drivepoverty eradication and ensure job creation. The Foundation's mission is rootedin the philosophy of Africapitalism which positions the private sector asthe key enabler of economic and social wealth creation in Africa. ThroughTEFConnect,  the Foundation's proprietary digital platform, it has providedcapacity-building support, advisory and market linkages, to over 1.5 millionAfricans.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programmeis open to entrepreneurs across Africa: new start-ups and existing youngbusinesses, operating in any sector. Prospective applicants should apply now on the digital networking hubfor African entrepreneurs.

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