LAGOS, Nigeria, November 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Foundation Convenes Entrepreneurs & Announces Partnerships With AFDB, Ecowas, The Coca-Cola Africa Foundaton & Nigerian Ministry of Information
October 28-29, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) convenednearly 1,000entrepreneurs from 54 African countries during the2ndTEF Entrepreneurship Forum - the largest gathering of African entrepreneurs in the world.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161103/436023 )
TheForum celebrated the 2016 cohort of entrepreneurs, selected from over 45,000applicants and was thehighlight of the 2016 TEF EntrepreneurshipProgramme.ItallowedAfrican policymakers and business leadersto supportthe Foundation's $100 million commitment to empower 10,000 African entrepreneurs in 10 years.
His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone said, "it's a genuinely innovative approach toAfrican philanthropy - anAfricanoffering African solutions. Other philanthropists will be inspired tosupport and promote this philosophy. Even when we had Ebola in Sierra Leone, Tony was there. His is anexample which other successful Africansmustfollow," he said.
TEF Founder Tony O. Elumelu said, "I salute those here - our ambition is that you become ambassadors for entrepreneurship in Africa. You are a generation of wealth creators who share our commitment to the transformation of Africa. MomarMass-Taal turned his first $5,000 seed capital from the Foundationinto a $1.2 million revenue business.We will have many more of these."
The two-day forumbuzzed with energy as entrepreneurs shared and gained knowledge, built cross-border partnerships, and connected with policymakers, fostering intra-African innovation and collaboration.
The first day featured masterclasses, sector specific workshops and a session on Africapitalism; the second day featured policy panels seeking solutions to strengthen the enabling environment for business. Moderated by BBC News correspondent Lerato Mbele, the panel featured:
His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria
Former Prime Minister of Benin Republic Lionel Zinsou
Honourable Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed
Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Vice Chair of Famfa Oil
President Obasanjo said: "By every means, God has made His face shine upon you. You are not the only one, but unlike you, others don't have the idea of empowering the next generation of Africans in the manner and scale that you are doing."
Former Prime Minister of Benin, Lionel Zinsou, said, "What Tony Elumelu is doing is the exception, not the norm."
Information: http://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/teep/tef-forum2016
Contact: Bolanle.omisore@tonyelumelufoundation.org, +234-814-590-0809
