Worried that her gender would affect Hasanat Ventures’ reputation, Binti considered hiring a man as the face of the business. But she eventually decided against it, standing firm in her pride as a solo founder and committed to tearing down the perception that women-run businesses in Africa aren’t as successful as those run by men.

“I think we should be challenging the outdated narrative that businesses run by men are guaranteed to be more successful,” Binti says. “Based on research, we’ve seen that businesses run by women actually perform better. We should use this as an opportunity to prove that as a woman, you do stand a chance to succeed in everything that you do.”

Just as important to Binti as breaking this bias was giving Kenyans more access to affordable nutrition. “I realized that many people couldn’t afford premium yogurt. So we entered the market with a high-quality product that’s affordable for lower and middle-income earners who have become more health-conscious,” she says.

Binti knew she had to drive awareness for her brand, particularly to reach Kenyans who needed convincing about yogurt’s health benefits. So she turned to Google Digital Skills for Africa, which offers virtual classes to help entrepreneurs grow their skills and businesses, and completed a digital marketing course to help her get Hasanat Ventures online.

“After participating in the course, we knew our online presence had to be bigger than just social media,” Binti says. “Now that we have a fully functional website, we are actually getting leads from outside Kenya.”

As part of the course, Binti learned how to use Google Analytics to measure her website’s performance. She could now monitor traffic insights, analyze pageviews and better understand who was visiting her site.

Binti’s determination and passion for her business are showing up in the results. In its first year, Hasanat Ventures supplied over 300 retailers with affordable dairy products. Three years later, it’s grown to support more than 50 farmers and even built its own production facility to keep up with demand.

“I really want to make sure that I am visible and speaking up in spaces women don’t usually have access to,” Binti says. “As Hasanat Ventures continues to grow, I am confident I can help change the perception of African women in business.”

58% of Africa’s entrepreneurs are women. That’s why we’re empowering them with the platform and tools to grow their businesses. Learn more about our #LookMeUp campaign, highlighting Africa’s women entrepreneurs like Binti who are working to break the bias

The post Meet the Entrepreneur Connecting Kenyans to Healthy food appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

To mitigate the effects of this, the continent will need to create more jobs, policies and implementation plans that will allow for a more competitive private sector that favours business growth, job creation, and the stimulation of African economies.

For a long while, in dealing with conflict-prone areas and the effects of extreme poverty, Africa has had to depend on foreign aid, and the need for this remains imperative to reduce immediate suffering. However, many have begun to recognise the need to move away from aid for long term positive impact and a more sustainable model of developing the continent.

Africa desperately needs long-term investments in the private sector- the infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing industries, in order to address growing food insecurity, boost incentives and create the necessary employment opportunities for African youth.

Foreign aid, so far, has done little to improve the living conditions of people at the bottom of the social strata who live below the poverty line.

Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony O. Elumelu continues to assert that a better approach to the cycle of dependency created by the approach of foreign aid to Africa’s problems, is to fund private, for-profit ventures.

Mr. Elumelu’s philosophy has become increasingly popular on the African continent, where he is acknowledged as the pioneer of a private-sector-led approach to accelerating development.

In 2020, at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) conference held in Japan, he reiterated his stance on Africa’s huge return on investment, “Africa is one of the world’s viable destinations for investment. Our huge population, of nearly 1.3 billion people, creates one of the most attractive markets anywhere in the world.”

Based on this philosophy, The Tony Elumelu Foundation was set up to create more successful African business leaders and support the overall economy. So far, the Foundation has funded over 9000 entrepreneurs, and Mr Elumelu also continues to invest in businesses that add value to their local communities and the society at large.

“Global advocacy is that in the 21st century, you must engage with Africa – not from outside, but from within and from the point of view of what we consider important,” Mr Elumelu said in an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show earlier this month.

“We appreciate aid, but we know more importantly that we want to become fishermen.

“We all have a role to play in the development of our continent and we do so by investing in critical sectors of the African economy: infrastructure, power, railways.

“Investing long-term in critical sectors creates economic prosperity for you the investor and at the same time creates social wealth and prosperity and it becomes a win-win for everyone.

Creating policies and incentives that show progress rather than failure is one step in the direction of converting Aid into trade, thereby inspiring citizens to become creators of wealth and enterprise so that they can live from their activities.

The post Playing the Long Game: An Africa Beyond Aid appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Greenrev Gr is an agribusiness enterprise reducing horticultural harvest losses and adding micro-nutrient, to improve livelihoods through high profits and diversified nutrient-rich diets. The enterprise is committed to the fight against malnutrition and is interested in the seeding of vegetables and cereals to their processing level.

Since then, there have been significant achievements on his entrepreneurial journey and in improving and modernizing the agricultural sector. In 2020, he was featured in the UN SDSN report 2020 for his work with World Food Program (WFP-Rwanda). In addition, he is a part of Sight and Life Rwanda with the mission to establish SBN-RWANDA chapter.

For Joseph, when it comes to being healthy, prevention is better than cure. In Africa, fortification is not new, but Greenrev gr’s delivery model is a groundbreaking approach. They are revolutionising the food system without having to change it. For example, the thousands of small farmers and food processing already existed. The market and demand for fruits and vegetables have always existed. What the enterprise does is improve an existing product already widely consumed by hundreds of millions of Africans.

Their solution requires minimal behaviour change, which is key to its success and enables it to scale efficiently. So far, they have impacted more than 8.5+ million including customers, smallholder farmers and cooperatives, and project to reach over 100 million people by 2025. This would require a new and technological milling plant and advanced laboratory equipment to ensure quality, nutrition and safety.

As Greenrev gr’s continues to impact lives, they hope to adopt the new normal, especially in Horticulture and fighting against Malnutrition through institutional partnerships and market investments.

The post Greenrev’s Approach to Fighting Malnourishment in Rwanda appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Recent reports show that less than 30% of urban waste in developing countries is collected and disposed of appropriately, and the implications of such are dire and numerous. From growing health concerns to environmental pollution, Lalita found herself contemplating the impact of the work she was involved in, which made her design a new concept for her company. Instead of discarding the waste, she decided to collect them in the basement of the house she shared with her husband. 

After 4 years however, after the waste had piled and become increasingly, and obviously a misfit, it was time to get rid of them. In this crossroad, Lalita got the idea of upcycling the old banners into bags. It took her almost two years to set up a proper chain to upcycle the banners. Sakili, the brand name of her upcycle bags made from advertising trash was launched in 2018 and has since made more than 100,000 products. Through this journey, Lalita has made a name for herself in the upcycling industry in Mauritius, which is a booming market being a tourist haven and environmentally conscious.

Keeping her entrepreneurial spirit alive, Lalita went further into her career and started researching on natural sanitary napkins as well, using her curiosity to explore business opportunities that are nature-conscious and sustainable. After a trip to India in 2017, where she first used natural pads, she was convinced that she could improve the quality and made something better for the Mauritian women.

After eighteen months of lab research and testing, Lalita and her team made the first natural biodegradable sanitary pad in Mauritius. It is 100% natural, made of corn and bamboo fibres. Recycle Moi, the brand name of the pads, was launched in October 2019 and have so far developed 3 categories; regular, extra-long and in March 2021, introduced the panty liners. 

This idea is what made her a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur in 2019, and so far, her most significant achievement has been the ability to bring sustainable and affordable solutions that are more sustainable alternatives to plastic products. Through her eco-friendly brands, Lalita is raising a more mindful community. In addition to that, she is creating jobs for women in the community.

For the future, Lalita hopes to expand production by introducing more biodegradable products in the personal hygiene section and reduce her organization’s carbon footprint as much as possible in the manufacturing industry. During the first lockdown in Mauritius in March 2020, Lalita shifted her bag manufacturing production to fabric face masks production, always willing to be innovative and reinvent her business model if there is the need to in order to get things done. For her, entrepreneurs need to know when and how to adjust their sails.

The post Lalita Purbhoo Junggee is Reducing Mauritius’ Carbon Footprint with Biodegradable Products appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Rwanda often experienced a surplus of sweet potatoes. Everyone was growing sweet potatoes in the rural areas and eating them boiled – the same way they had been preparing them for decades. Yet, while the population in Rwanda’s urban areas increased as people moved into the cities, they could not get themselves to enjoy sweet potatoes because they had been conditioned to the traditional way it was prepared.

Once, while discussing business opportunities with colleagues, Regis shared his idea of adding value to sweet potatoes and they all decided to start a company, CARL Group – a recipient of the 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur Programme fund. Today, they are making bread and biscuits from sweet potato.

They produce orange-fleshed sweet potatoes that have a high vitamin content, particularly vitamin A. The main product of the CARL Group company is “VitA Bread”, a certified Made in Rwanda product and one of two kinds of bread to receive Standard Certification from the Rwandan Standard Board. VITA bread is made from OFSP which is a biofortified sweet potato rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A.

CARL Group sources the raw materials for the bread from around 1000 individuals, cooperatives and groups of farmers in Rwanda. The end products are processed daily by a highly qualified team of twelve young visionaries and finished products are then sold in 35 supermarkets and online grocery stores across several neighbourhoods in Kigali, primarily to low and middle-income urban consumers.

The social impact of CARL Group is felt widely across Rwanda because sweet potato is widely cultivated throughout the region; the number of farmers they work with grows as the demand for their products increases. They currently work with five online e-commerce platforms in Kigali.

Through diligence and an environmentally-conscious mentality, they continue to minimise wastage of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and improve OFSP value-chains to increase production and utilization in Rwanda as well as reducing malnutrition among children and pregnant women.

To be the most trustable, admired, efficient, successful and innovative company in Rwanda and internationally, Regis knows that he must keep growing and keep believing in his ideas.

The post Regis Umugiraneza’s Innovative Idea is Maximizing the Use of Sweet Potatoes in Rwanda appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

If success is the goal, then it can be said that perseverance is the engine. Few individuals are able to achieve great things without first overcoming the obstacles that stand in their way.

Many individuals who decided to set out on their own are familiar with the hardest part of entrepreneurship, which is continuing to work on an idea once the initial excitement of launching a business has worn off.

Perseverance in Entrepreneurship

While genius and creativity are important and celebrated especially in the ideation phases of the product building phase, perseverance is that quality that is needed for the work and the reiterations that are inevitable to successfully arrive at the desired point.

In this interview, the Tony Elumelu Foundation talks with Paul Nyambe, Zambian entrepreneur and 2018 TEF Beneficiary​. Paul tells us about his company Zamgoat, an innovative, market-driven, and socially-inclusive Zambian agribusiness, supporting rural livelihoods with the processing and distribution of quality goat products and services.

Paul’s Growth

For Paul, a lot has changed, and his agribusiness has grown over the years in terms of production capacity, market penetration and its impact on small holder farmers. “At the time that I participated in the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, our business was quite small,” he says. “We were just over 18 and had sales of $12,000. Now, we bring in sales of $40,000 on the average in annual revenue.”

Running a Successful Business

“I think starting begins with understanding who you are, your realities and what you want out of your life. In my case, it was identifying who I was at the time when I started Zamgoat in 2012, the economic environment within the country and, the gap in the market.”  Paul points to Aliko Dangote’s success as a businessperson as an inspiration to him, and reflects on how perseverance enabled him to keep working on his business.

“It is one of the key elements of running a business,” he says. “Running a business does not happen in a straight line; you do not always get it right from the start, so you need to be patient, you need to have better agility to fight on when things don’t work according to plan, and you need to have a long-term view.”

Reaping Business Rewards

Most businesses take a loss until they break-even. For Paul, it is about the freedom to determine his own economic destiny. “Running my own business, besides enabling me to take care of personal needs, also gives me the best opportunity to create for the future,” he says.

“It is also the fact that I’m able to help other people through my business. We are now uplifting the lives of small holder farmers in rural areas of Zambia.”

Small and medium businesses require great support to be able to succeed, and Paul tells us that to be able to keep his business afloat, entrepreneurs need to have a good metric to judge the people they add to their teams and circles, and they also need to understand the entrepreneurial ecosystem around. “As an entrepreneur in this part of the world, you may need to look beyond the traditional scope of financing, where traditional banks do not seem to be friendly to small businesses.”

Just Starting Up

To enable a more conducive environment where businesses drive economy, governments must put more effort in developing policies to champion local enterprise development.

“It is important to note that business is the most sustainable way to generate development in the economy,” Paul says. “Whatever business you’re into, you need to look beyond yourself, your self-interest, and start a business with the point of view of also generating social or environmental impact. That way, even when you hit a rough patch, the motivation keeps you going. I think it is time entrepreneurs shift the focus from business as a means of profit to business as a means of generating social impact.”

The Future of Zamgoat

Where does the future of Zamgoat lie? Paul believes there is a huge potential for Zamgoat to be recognised as a peer in the industry, and to grow the world over. “Where I see Zamgoat in the next few years is to be the king of the goat industry in Zambia and the world.”

The post “Perseverance is one of the key elements for running a business,” – Paul Nyambe appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

O Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu é um compromisso de 100 milhões de dólares assumido pela família Elumelu para capacitar 10.000 empresários africanos durante um período de 10 anos, formação, orientação e financiamento. O objetivo é criar pelo menos um milhão de empregos e contribuir com mais de 10mil milhões de dólares em receitas para a economia africana.  

Através do seu principal Programa de Empreendedorismo, a Fundação capacita os empreendedores africanos e o ecossistema de empreendedorismo em 54 países africanos. O currículo de formação TEF foi projetado para segmentar empreendedores com base na capacidade e conhecimento demonstrados.  

A formação foi adaptada para educar e capacitar-se para iniciar ou aumentar o seu negócio para superar os desafios enfrentados pelos empreendedores em todo o continente africano. O currículo centra-se na aprendizagem prática e iterativa que é útil mesmo muito depois do período de formação.  

NOTA: A conclusão do programa de formação é uma condição estrita para avançar para a submissão e revisão do seu plano de negócios, participação no concurso de pitching e receção de capital de sementes. 

COMO SE REGISTAR 

O formulário de candidatura é composto por quatro partes: 

(1) Informações pessoais 

(2) Informações comerciais 

(3) Avaliação cognitiva 

(4) Secção de declaração 

Para garantir um processo de candidatura transparente, todos os candidatos terão de ter um ID emitido pelo seu governo válido e indicar o seu nome no formulário de candidatura no TEFConnect exatamente como aparece no cartão de identificação. 

TODOS OS CANDIDATOS SERÃO OBRIGADOS A:  

1. Preencha todos os campos obrigatórios no formulário de candidatura online no TEFConnect. 

2. Enviar o formulário 

4. Anexar todos os documentos solicitados (bilhete de identidade válido e foto tipo passe) e fazer o upload dos documentos necessários 

5. Esperar comentários da Fundação. 

POR FAVOR NOTE: O TEFConnect só pode ser acedido através de uma única conta de e-mail. É importante que todos os candidatos se inscrevam com um e-mail ao qual têm acesso regular. 

O QUE ESPERAR DO PROGRAMA? 

O Programa de Empreendedorismo identifica empresários africanos excecionais que têm start-ups ou ideias de negócio com potencial para crescer.  O Programa de Empreendedorismo TEF será entregue em diferentes fases, conforme indicado a seguir: 

• Fase de Inscrição/ Candidatura  
• Fase de Formação e Orientação/ Mentoria  
• Fase de Submissão do Plano de Negócios  

• Fase de Pitching  
• Fase de capital semente  

A FASE DE CANDIDATURA 

Isto terá lugar de 1 de Janeiro a 31 de Março.  Uma vez fechados as candidaturas, os candidatos elegíveis serão colocados no Percurso de formação adequado: 

PREPARATÓRIO 

Isto significa que não tens a habilidade necessária para começar um negócio. Você vai passar pelo treino geral no TEFConnect. No entanto, não será elegível para mentoria ou capital de sementes. 

ARRANQUE/ PRINCIPIANTE 

Isto significa que és um iniciante de acordo com o perfil de arranque do negócio. Você vai passar pelos módulos de formação de principiantes e você terá acesso a mentores de classe mundial durante o programa.  

INOVAÇÃO/ INTERMEDIÁRIO 

Isto significa que foi perfilado para ser um empreendedor intermediário. Tem um bom potencial para ser um empreendedor de sucesso. Você vai passar pelos módulos de formação intermediários e você terá acesso a mentores de classe mundial durante o programa.  

DISRUPTOR/ AVANÇADO 

Isto significa que você é ou é identificado como empreendedor natural ou um empreendedor experiente. Você vai passar pelos módulos de treino Avançados e você terá acesso a mentores de classe mundial durante o programa.  

A FASE DE FORMAÇÃO E ORIENTAÇÃO 

Uma vez selecionado e colocado no caminho de formação apropriado, você será elegível para participar em nossas rigorosas sessões de formação e mentoria de negócios. Haverá múltiplas perguntas de escolha para acompanhar o seu desempenho. Você irá assistir a um programa de orientação virtual para saber mais sobre o processo e partilharemos os prazos e recursos disponíveis para que você tenha sucesso. Os empreendedores selecionados terão acesso para se juntarem aos grupos de apoio entre colegas. 

• Espera-se que os empreendedores selecionados completem a formação de negócios, respondam ao questionário no fim de cada módulo. 

• Os candidatos pré-selecionados após a formação terão a oportunidade de desenvolver um PLANO DE NEGÓCIOS  

A FASE DE APRESENTAÇÃO DO PLANO DE NEGÓCIOS E DAS FINANÇAS 

No final do treino, você será obrigado a combinar todas as aprendizagens do treino em um único documento coeso. Ser-lhe-a dado um modelo de plano de negócios e financeiros; isto estará na biblioteca de recursos online. Este modelo irá ajudá-lo a criar um primeiro rascunho do seu plano de negócios. Escreva um plano de negócios. Após  TREINAMENTO DE NEGOCIOS  &  A SUBMISSÃO DO PLANO DE NEGÓCIOS, apenas os candidatos bem sucedidos (que completam os MCQs e pontuam acima da marca indicada e apresentam um plano de negócios) seriam elegíveis para passar à fase seguinte: a COMPETIÇÃO DE PITCHING. 

A FASE DE PITCHING  

Esta é uma oportunidade para demonstrar o seu conhecimento de negócio e convencer o juiz sobre a viabilidade do seu negócio. Na fase de pitching, os empreendedores vão apresentar as suas ideias perante um painel de juízes. Só os candidatos bem sucedidos do concurso de pitching receberão financiamento de capital semente e acesso à rede de ex-alunos para apoiar as suas ambições empresariais. 

Se tiver cumprido com sucesso todos os requisitos de formação necessários e tiver apresentado um plano de negócios, mas não tiver tido sucesso após o concurso de pitching, receberá um certificado de conclusão de formação e poderá recandidatar-se no próximo ano.  

Por favor, note que esta fase é mais um resultado chave deste programa de formação e todos os empreendedores pré-selecionados devem passar por esta fase para serem elegíveis a CAPITAL DE SEMENTES. 

A FASE CAPITAL DE SEMENTES 

Todos os empreendedores que tenham concluído com sucesso todas as etapas acima referidas serão obrigados a abrir contas de negócio e o capital semente será transferido para estas contas criadas. Um empreendedor que seja elegível para receber financiamento de capital semente receberá um CERTIFICADO DE CONCLUSÃO E REALIZAÇÃO da Fundação. 

The post A 7ª EDIÇÃO DO PROGRAMA DE EMPREENDEDORISMO (2021) DA FUNDAÇÃO TONY ELUMELU appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria, H.E. Ambassador Daniel Bertrand, presented the royal decoration on Sunday, November 15 – the Belgian King’s Day and a symbolic national day of celebration, at the Belgian House in Abuja, with public and private sector leaders witnessing the ceremony.

Mr Elumelu has been responsible for initiatives creating millions of jobs and employment for young Africans across the continent, through his philanthropy, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF).  The Foundation’s flagship intervention, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, is a 10-year, US$100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor, and fund 10,000 young African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries.  Over 9,600 young Africans are current beneficiaries, just six years since its inception.  In addition to its own significant programme, the Foundation partners with institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to bring its proven methodology to an even broader universe.  Mr Elumelu believes that youth entrepreneurship has the potential to tackle global challenges such as forced migration, poverty, and hunger.

Mr Elumelu’s concept of Africapitalism is redefining national development, making the case for the critical role that the private sector must play in transforming Africa.  Mr Elumelu’s businesses are present in 20 African countries and key international markets, with over 30,000 people in employment   His investments span power, financial services, healthcare, energy, technology, hospitality, and real estate.

Mr Elumelu chairs family-owned African investment company, Heirs Holdings; pan-African financial services group, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which operates across Africa, the United Kingdom, France and the only African bank with a commercial deposit taking licence in the United States, and Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, Transcorp, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power, one of the leading generators of electricity in Nigeria and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.

Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who was at the event, said: “Your Excellency Ambassador Daniel Bertrand, Ambassador of Belgium, let me, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, express our deepest appreciation to the King and Queen of Belgium for recognising the wonderful work of Mr. Tony Elumelu and what he is doing in our nation and on the continent of Africa by prioritising the empowerment of our youth”.

Commenting further, he said: “Mr. Elumelu, I listened to your priorities, which include; eradicating poverty, creating jobs and improving access to electricity and I can assure you that this was the motivation of President Muhammadu Buhari when he spoke about lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.  When we identify somebody in the private sector who believes in that core mandate, the government has no option but to continue to support your endeavours, and I can assure you that on behalf of the President, you will continue to receive it.  Mustapha concluded, “As Nigerians, we stand here today very proud of the excellent work Mr Elumelu has done in Nigeria and on our continent and we ask him to do more”.

Earlier in 2019, Tony Elumelu was conferred with the National Productivity
Merit Award in Nigeria and in 2020, he featured in the Time 100 most
influential people in the world.

The post Belgium Confers Highest National Honour on African Philanthropist, Tony Elumelu appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

– Un soutien économique pour restaurer la paix et la stabilité au Mali

1er Novembre 2020, Bamako, Mali – Le Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD), réseau mondial de développement des Nations Unies et la Fondation Tony Elumelu (TEF) – leader de l’entrepreneuriat en Afrique – ont ouvert les inscriptions pour le Programme Entrepreneurial TEF-PNUD visant à former, encadrer et financer 10 000 jeunes entrepreneurs maliens sur une période de 3 ans, dans le cadre d’un soutien à la relance économique au Mali.

Cette initiative d’autonomisation des jeunes entrepreneurs africains fait partie d’un programme plus large d’entrepreneuriat de la Fondation Tony Elumelu et du PNUD, lancé en 2019 pour soutenir 10. 0000 entrepreneurs à travers le Sahel.

Les Nations Unies estiment que plus de 1,7 million de personnes ont été déplacées par la violence au Mali depuis 2012, aggravant encore une crise au Sahel déjà instable. Le programme entrepreneurial TEF-PNUD Mali vise à améliorer la situation pour une paix durable en s’attaquant aux facteurs économiques qui perpétuent les conflits et les troubles.

Le programme entrepreneurial de la Fondation Tony Elumelu considère l’esprit d’entreprise comme l’outil le plus efficace pour créer des emplois, des opportunités, de l’espoir économique, et une croissance soutenue, qui réduiront la pauvreté.

A ce sujet, M. Tony O. Elumelu a récemment déclaré : « Sous l’impulsion de M. Achim Steiner, le PNUD a montré un engagement constant envers les populations vulnérables et partage les convictions de la Fondation sur la valorisation de l’esprit d’entreprise et l’autonomisation des jeunes ».

Achim Steiner, Administrateur du PNUD, a déclaré : « Les stratégies de relance du COVID 19 doivent offrir de nouvelles opportunités aux PME et à l’économie informelle. Le Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement est fier de notre partenariat avec la Fondation Tony Elumelu, désormais élargie au Mali pour soutenir 10 000 jeunes entrepreneurs maliens sur 3 ans. Cela contribuera à réguler les effets de la crise multidimensionnelle que connait le pays à travers la création d’emplois, la promotion de l’innovation et d’une croissance économique plus verte ».

Le programme s’inscrit en ligne droite du programme pilote TEF-PNUD Sahel conclu en 2019 qui a identifié, formé, encadré et financé 2004 jeunes entrepreneurs dans sept pays du Sahel, dont le Mali, où près de 300 jeunes entrepreneurs maliens ont bénéficié de cette initiative.

Les candidatures pour le Programme entrepreneurial TEF-PNUD Mali seront hébergées du 1er au 14 Novembre 2020 sur TEFConnect, la plus grande plateforme de réseautage numérique pour les entrepreneurs africains développée par la Fondation Tony Elumelu. Après la période d’inscriptions, les candidats bénéficieront d’une formation et de l’assistance d’un mentor avant de participer à un concours de pitching. La liste définitive des bénéficiaires à recevoir le financement du Programme sera ensuite annoncée.

Contacts Presse

Pour toute information complémentaire, contactez :

A Bamako: Adam Maiga, +223 75 99 52 63, adam.maiga@undp.org

A Lagos : Ifesinachi Okpagu, +234-1-2774641-5, ifesinachi.okpagu@tonyelumelufoundation.org

À propos du PNUD : Présent dans quelque 170 pays et territoires dans le monde, le PNUD est l’un des principaux organismes multilatéraux de développement contribuant à éradiquer la pauvreté et réduire les inégalités et l’exclusion. Nous aidons les pays à élaborer des politiques, à développer des compétences en leadership et en matière de partenariat, à renforcer leurs capacités institutionnelles et bâtir une meilleure résilience pour réaliser un développement durable. Visitez notre site pour en savoir plus : www.africa.undp.org

A propos de la Fondation Tony Elumelu : La Fondation Tony Elumelu est le champion de l’entrepreneuriat en Afrique.  Notre objectif est d’autonomiser les femmes et les hommes à travers le continent, en donnant une impulsion à la croissance économique, en favorisant l’éradication de la pauvreté et en assurant la création d’emplois.

Le programme entrepreneurial phare de la Fondation est un engagement de 100 millions de dollars pour promouvoir le développement de l’esprit d’entreprise en Afrique. Au-delà de son engagement annuel de financer directement les projets des jeunes entrepreneurs africains, la Fondation a commencé à s’associer avec des organisations de développement mondiales et des gouvernements afin d’étendre son approche robuste et éprouvée, dans le but de créer la prospérité économique et de briser le cycle de la pauvreté sur le continent.  Pour plus d’informations, visitez notre site: www.tonyelumelufoundation.org

 Follow us on Twitter: @UNDP @TonyElumeluFDN @UNDPAfrica

The post Le Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement et la Fondation Tony Elumelu (TEF) annoncent un programme de relance pour le Mali destiné à l’autonomisation de 10000 jeunes entrepreneurs maliens appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

• The TEF-UNDP Mali Entrepreneurship Programme leverages the Pan-African Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme knowhow and process to identify, train and fund young entrepreneurs

• A critical economic intervention to restore peace and economic stability in Mali

November 1, 2020, Bamako, Mali – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the global development network of the United Nations, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) — the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa — have opened applications for the TEF-UNDP Mali Entrepreneurship Programme to train, mentor and fund 10,000 young Malian entrepreneurs over a 3-year period, as part of significant economic recovery intervention in Mali.

This youth empowerment initiative is part of the broader Tony Elumelu Foundation-UNDP Entrepreneurship Program, launched in 2019 to support 100,000 entrepreneurs across Africa.

The United Nations estimates that over 1.7 million people have been displaced by violence in Mali since 2012, further exacerbating an already volatile Sahel region. The TEF-UNDP Mali Entrepreneurship Programme directly addresses the economic roots of the crisis, helping to create a basis for sustainable peace in the long term.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme demonstrates that entrepreneurship is the single most effective tool to create jobs, opportunity, economic hope, sustained growth, and poverty alleviation.

Commenting on this development, the Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu said “under the global leadership of Achim Steiner, the UNDP has shown a long-lasting commitment to vulnerable and at-risk populations throughout Africa and shares our belief at TEF in the power of entrepreneurship and youth empowerment”.

Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, said: “COVID 19 recovery strategies must offer new opportunities for SMEs and the Informal economy. The United Nations Development Programme is proud of our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, now expanded to Mali – to invest in 10,000 Malian young entrepreneurs over 3 years.  This will counter multidimensional crises by creating jobs, boosting innovation and promoting greener economic growth”.

The programme follows the recently concluded TEF-UNDP Sahel Pilot Programme in 2019 which identified, trained, mentored, and funded 2,004 young entrepreneurs across seven Sahel countries, including Mali, where close to 300 young Malian entrepreneurs benefited from this initiative.

The applications for the TEF-UNDP Mali Entrepreneurship Programme will be hosted on TEFConnect, the largest digital networking platform for African entrepreneurs from November 1^st to 14^th, developed by The Tony Elumelu Foundation.  Following the application period, applicants will receive business training and mentorship, before participating in a pitching competition. The final list of beneficiaries to receive funding will be announced shortly after.

For media enquiry, please contact:

In Bamako: Adam Maiga, +223 75 99 52 63, adam.maiga@undp.org

In Lagos: Ifesinachi Okpagu, +234-1-2774641-5, ifesinachi.okpagu@tonyelumelufoundation.org

About UNDP: UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

About the Tony Elumelu Foundation: The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa.  Our objective is to empower women and men across our continent, catalyzing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and ensuring job creation.

The Foundation’s flagship Entrepreneurship Programme is a $100 million commitment to champion entrepreneurship development in Africa.  Beyond its directly funded annual commitment, the Foundation has begun to partner with global development organizations and governments to scale its robust and proven approach, with the goal of creating economic prosperity and breaking the cycle of poverty on the continent.  For more information, visit:  www.tonyelumelufoundation.org

Follow us on Twitter: @UNDP @TonyElumeluFDN @UNDPAfrica

The post Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and UNDP Announce Recovery Programme for Mali. Opens Applications to Empower 10,000 Young Malian Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.