The Tony Elumelu Foundation

Aristide Chabi Is Making Knowledge Accessible in Benin

Grace matthew — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:24:18 +0000

Aristide Chabi understands that access to information can shape the trajectory of academic discovery. For a student seeking a dissertation, a researcher searching for scientific literature, or a university safeguarding decades of scholarly work, the ability to access knowledge quickly and efficiently is often the difference between progress and stagnation.

Recognising the challenges posed by fragmented archives, limited accessibility, and inadequate preservation of academic resources, Aristide Chabi identified an opportunity to transform how knowledge is shared and retained in Benin. Drawing on his background in Cellular Biology and Immunology, he saw technology not simply as a tool for digitising documents, but as a means of redefining the relationship between students, researchers, institutions, and knowledge itself.

Through Groupe CTAD, Aristide Chabi is developing digital infrastructure that enables academic resources to move beyond physical archives, creating a more accessible, searchable, and sustainable ecosystem for learning and research.

Aristide Chabi saw a problem beyond the classroom

The challenge was never simply a shortage of information.

Benin has produced generations of students, researchers and academics whose work represents a valuable intellectual resource. The difficulty was making that knowledge easier to find, preserve and share.

For students, accessing dissertations, scientific publications and other academic works could require navigating physical libraries and institutional archives. For universities, managing large collections of research material created its own administrative and preservation challenges.

Aristide Chabi understood that these were not isolated inconveniences.

They represented a larger question about who gets access to knowledge and how easily that knowledge can move from one person to another.

His response was to build a digital platform capable of helping academic institutions and learners manage and access intellectual resources more efficiently.

Groupe CTAD is building a digital gateway for academic knowledge

Through Groupe CTAD, Aristide Chabi has developed digital solutions that support the digitisation, organisation and distribution of academic resources.

The company’s work includes:

Digitising academic and intellectual works
Creating digital archives for institutions
Providing online access to educational resources
Supporting the organisation and preservation of research outputs
Developing digital platforms for students and academic communities

The significance of this work lies in what happens after digitisation.

Once academic resources become digitally accessible, they can be searched, organised, preserved and shared beyond the physical location where they were originally stored.

That can make research more efficient for students and researchers while giving institutions better tools to manage their intellectual output.

In this sense, CTAD is not simply building an education platform. It is contributing to the infrastructure through which knowledge can circulate.

From scientific training to entrepreneurial problem-solving

Aristide Chabi’s background in science has influenced the way he approaches entrepreneurship.

His training in Cellular Biology and Immunology exposed him to the importance of research, evidence and access to reliable information. That experience helped shape his understanding of the relationship between knowledge and development.

For him, improving access to academic resources is ultimately about more than convenience.

Students who can find relevant research more easily have more opportunities to learn. Researchers who can access existing work can build on it. Institutions that preserve their academic output can strengthen their contribution to future scholarship.

The technology therefore becomes a means to a larger objective: helping more people participate in the production and use of knowledge.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation helped turn the idea into an enterprise

A strong social idea still needs a viable business model to survive.

As 2017 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme alumni, Aristide Chabi received US$5,000 in seed capital, alongside business training, mentorship and access to the Foundation’s pan-African entrepreneurial network.

For Groupe CTAD, the support came at an important stage in the company’s development.

The funding and business support helped Aristide strengthen the enterprise behind the idea, develop its digital infrastructure and pursue a model capable of serving students and academic institutions.

The experience also placed him within a wider community of African entrepreneurs building businesses around problems that affect their communities.

For the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the role is one of enabling the entrepreneur’s ambition. For Aristide Chabi, the opportunity was to turn a problem he understood deeply into a business capable of addressing it at scale.

Making knowledge more useful and more sustainable

Digital access matters, but sustainability matters too.

For a platform built around academic resources, long-term value depends on more than putting documents online. Institutions need systems that can help preserve, organise and share their research outputs, while businesses need sustainable models that allow those systems to continue evolving.

Groupe CTAD has developed revenue streams around areas including platform access, institutional partnerships, publishing services and educational programmes.

This commercial foundation is important because it allows the company to approach digital education not simply as a social intervention, but as an enterprise capable of sustaining its operations and continuing to invest in its technology.

The result is a model where impact and commercial viability can support one another.

Aristide Chabi is thinking beyond academic archives

For Aristide Chabi, access to knowledge is only one part of human development.

Through Groupe CTAD, his broader work has also extended into areas including personal development, entrepreneurship mentoring, sexual education, environmental awareness and student support.

These initiatives reflect a wider philosophy: education is not simply about storing information.

It is about helping people understand that information, apply it and use it to make better decisions.

That perspective places Aristide’s work within a broader conversation about the role of entrepreneurship in human development—particularly in a continent where young populations are creating enormous demand for accessible education, skills and information.

Why Aristide Chabi’s work matters

The value of knowledge increases when it can be shared.

A dissertation sitting unnoticed in a physical archive has limited reach. The same research, properly digitised and made accessible through an effective platform, can become a resource for another student, researcher or institution.

That is the opportunity Aristide Chabi is pursuing.

By helping digitise and organise academic resources, Groupe CTAD is contributing to a more connected knowledge ecosystem in Benin. Its work also reflects a larger opportunity for African entrepreneurs: building digital infrastructure that solves problems created by the continent’s rapid transition to a more connected economy.

For Aristide, the technology is important. But the people who gain access to what that technology makes possible are the real measure of its value.

Looking ahead

Africa’s education systems are expanding into a digital era, but digital transformation is about more than putting classrooms online.

It is also about creating the infrastructure that allows knowledge to move.

Aristide Chabi is building in that space.

Through Groupe CTAD, his ambition is to make academic and intellectual resources easier to access while helping institutions preserve and share the knowledge they create.

The broader lesson from his journey is straightforward: sometimes the most important innovation is not creating new knowledge, but making existing knowledge easier for more people to find.

In Benin, Aristide Chabi is building a business around that idea—and in doing so, helping turn knowledge from something stored in places into something that can move between people, institutions and generations.

The post Aristide Chabi Is Making Knowledge Accessible in Benin appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

David Mustapha: 5 Ways AI Is Transforming E-Commerce In Nigeria

Grace matthew — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:30:57 +0000

David Mustapha believes technology can reduce the uncertainty that comes with online shopping. Despite photos, descriptions, and reviews, customers often struggle to accurately visualise products, leading to disappointment, returns, and lost trust for businesses.

As the Founder of XRNET, a Nigerian software company, he is using artificial intelligence, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and 3D technology to give online shoppers a more realistic way to experience products before making purchasing decisions. The company’s proposition is built around a simple idea: the more customers understand what they are buying, the more confidently they can buy it.

Who is David Mustapha?

David Mustapha is a Nigerian technology entrepreneur and the Founder of XRNET, an AI-powered software company focused on immersive e-commerce experiences.

Based in Lagos, Mustapha has a background in systems engineering and a history of building technology businesses. Before XRNET, he co-founded OrderEat, an online food-ordering platform developed while he was a student at the University of Lagos.

That earlier experience exposed him to the practical challenges of building digital products around everyday consumer behaviour.

With XRNET, he turned his attention to another problem in online commerce: how to make digital shopping feel more trustworthy and more like the physical experience of examining a product before buying it.

What is XRNET?

XRNET is an AI-powered e-commerce technology platform that uses augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D product visualisation to help customers interact with products digitally before purchasing them.

The platform allows businesses to create digital storefronts where customers can explore products in greater detail.

For physical products, immersive 3D and AR features can provide a clearer sense of appearance, scale and context. XRNET has also developed storefront tools that allow businesses to establish an online presence without having to build a traditional website from scratch.

This positions XRNET at the intersection of artificial intelligence, immersive technology and e-commerce—three rapidly evolving areas of the digital economy.

David Mustapha is tackling a fundamental problem with online shopping

The challenge XRNET addresses is not simply that online shopping lacks technology.

It is that online shopping can lack confidence.

When customers cannot physically examine an item, businesses have to work harder to communicate what they are selling. Product photographs, descriptions and reviews help, but they do not always answer the questions customers have before clicking “buy”.

David Mustapha’s approach is to make the digital experience more interactive.

Instead of simply looking at a photograph, customers can engage with a digital representation of the product. In an AR-enabled experience, for example, a shopper can potentially visualise an item within their own environment before completing a purchase.

The objective is not technology for technology’s sake. It is to give customers more information at the moment when they are deciding whether to spend their money.

From immersive shopping to digital storefronts for SMEs

XRNET’s opportunity extends beyond large retailers.

Small and medium-sized enterprises often face a different challenge: establishing a credible digital presence without the resources required to build and maintain complex e-commerce infrastructure.

XRNET’s storefront model is designed to lower that barrier.

The platform enables businesses to establish online stores while incorporating features such as immersive product displays. More recent XRNET offerings also include digital storefronts for service businesses, with tools for bookings, customer engagement and payments.

That makes the platform relevant to a broader category of African businesses moving from informal or predominantly offline commerce towards digital channels.

For these businesses, the question is no longer simply “How do I get online?”

It is becoming:

“How do I create an online experience that makes customers want to buy?”

The Tony Elumelu Foundation gave David Mustapha room to build

Building frontier technology requires more than an idea.

It requires capital, business discipline, mentorship and access to people who can challenge an entrepreneur’s assumptions.

In 2024, David Mustapha was selected for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, joining a cohort of African entrepreneurs supported through training, mentorship, seed capital and access to the Foundation’s pan-African entrepreneurial network. The Tony Elumelu Foundation’s 2025 Annual Report identifies XRNET as a Nigeria-based, TEF-funded software-development business.

For Mustapha, the support came at an important stage in XRNET’s development, providing resources that could be directed towards strengthening the company’s technology and commercial model.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation’s role is important precisely because it does not replace the entrepreneur’s vision. It gives founders like Mustapha additional resources to test, refine and pursue that vision.

David Mustapha’s early traction shows demand for immersive commerce

XRNET has already begun attracting businesses interested in experimenting with immersive digital commerce.

Third-party reporting has documented more than 55 SMEs using XRNET’s immersive AR and 3D online stores, while the company has also reported more than 50 sign-ups during its first month of launch.

The company has continued developing its product infrastructure, including its XRNET Storefront and software tools designed to make its technology more broadly usable by businesses.

These developments point towards a larger opportunity: making immersive commerce accessible beyond major retailers and technology-heavy brands.

For SMEs, the ability to combine a digital storefront with richer product experiences could become an important differentiator as more businesses compete for customers online.

Why David Mustapha’s work matters

The next phase of e-commerce will not be defined solely by how many people shop online.

It will be defined by how much they trust the experience.

That distinction matters in markets where consumers are increasingly discovering products through social media, mobile platforms and digital storefronts while businesses compete for attention in crowded online environments.

David Mustapha is betting that immersive technology can make that experience clearer.

His work also reflects a broader shift in African technology entrepreneurship: building products specifically around the realities of African consumers and SMEs rather than simply importing models developed elsewhere.

If successful, XRNET’s approach could help businesses communicate their products more effectively while giving consumers greater confidence before making purchases.

What comes next for David Mustapha and XRNET?

The technology behind immersive commerce is still evolving.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more capable. Smartphone cameras are increasingly sophisticated. Three-dimensional product modelling is becoming more accessible. And consumers are becoming more comfortable interacting with brands through digital environments.

For David Mustapha, that convergence creates an opportunity to make immersive shopping a normal part of e-commerce rather than an expensive novelty.

The ambition extends beyond making online shopping more visually impressive.

It is about making it more informative.

Because the future of e-commerce may not belong to the businesses with the most products or the loudest advertising. It may belong to those that can answer the customer’s most basic question before the transaction happens:

“Can I trust what I am seeing?”

Through XRNET, David Mustapha is building technology around that question—and betting that greater clarity can become one of the most valuable features in African e-commerce.

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MEET RICHARD, BUILDING RWANDA’S ELECTRIC FUTURE

Webmaster — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:56:07 +0000

HE WATCHED RIDERS LOSE HALF THEIR INCOME TO FUEL. NOW HE’S BUILDING RWANDA’S ELECTRIC FUTURE.

Every day, Richard Ngoga watched motorcycle taxi riders work long hours only to lose a significant portion of their earnings to fuel costs.

For many riders, fuel consumed between 40 and 60 per cent of their daily income, making it difficult to build financial stability despite the growing demand for transport services.

Rather than accept this as an unavoidable reality, Richard saw an opportunity.

He envisioned a solution that could reduce operating costs for riders while helping Rwanda move towards a cleaner, more sustainable transport system.

That vision became Volt, an electric mobility company dedicated to making electric transportation accessible, practical, and affordable for Rwandans.

The Build

Building an electric mobility business meant introducing a new way of thinking about transportation in a market dominated by petrol-powered motorcycles.

Richard focused on developing a model that addressed the everyday realities of riders. Instead of simply selling electric motorcycles, Volt adopted a Battery-as-a-Service model, allowing riders to swap batteries instantly and continue working without lengthy charging times.

The approach combined locally relevant engineering, flexible financing options and dependable after-sales support, ensuring that riders could transition to electric mobility without disrupting their livelihoods.

The early stages demanded resilience, resourcefulness, and constant learning.

“Building Volt from an idea to an operational business with paying riders has required resilience, resourcefulness, and a strong belief in the mission,” Richard Ngoga

The Challenge

One of the biggest challenges was perception.

Many riders assumed electric motorcycles would be expensive, unreliable, or difficult to maintain. Convincing operators to embrace a new technology required more than promises; it required proof.

Richard and his team focused on demonstrating immediate value.

When riders saw that their daily operating costs could be significantly lower than fuel expenses from the very first day, scepticism began to fade.

The business also faced the challenge of meeting strict safety and regulatory requirements. To build trust with riders and authorities alike, Volt invested in UN38.3-certified batteries, meeting internationally recognised safety and environmental standards.

These decisions helped establish credibility and laid the groundwork for sustainable growth.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Moment

Richard’s participation in the 2023 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme provided a valuable framework for building the business.

Beyond seed capital, the programme challenged him to think about sustainability, scalability and financial viability as interconnected goals rather than separate priorities.

“The programme helped me see that building a clean energy business in Africa is not just environmentally responsible, it is commercially smart,”

The mentorship, business training and network of fellow entrepreneurs across Africa also proved invaluable during the company’s formative stages.

Through The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Richard gained the confidence to position Volt not simply as a transport company, but as a long-term infrastructure business helping to shape the future of mobility in Rwanda.

The Impact

The results are already visible on the streets of Kigali.

Since launching, Volt has deployed more than 100 electric motorcycles, helping reduce dependence on fuel-powered transportation while promoting cleaner urban mobility.

The company has also created 15 jobs, contributing to economic opportunity alongside environmental impact.

In 2025, Volt achieved several significant milestones, including launching its first battery swap station in Remera, Kigali, deploying its first fleet of electric motorcycles and onboarding more than 28 paying riders, generating over 1.2 million RWF in monthly mobile money revenue within just three months.

Volt is now scaling rapidly, with plans to expand from its current fleet to 250 riders by the end of the year and extend operations across all provinces of Rwanda by the end of 2026.

Every electric motorcycle on the road represents more than a business transaction; it represents lower operating costs for riders, reduced emissions and progress towards Rwanda’s vision for a cleaner transport future.

The Lesson

For Richard, sustainability is not a marketing message. It is the foundation of the business itself.

As fuel prices continue to rise and countries across Africa pursue cleaner transport solutions, he believes the most resilient businesses will be those that align commercial success with solving real societal challenges.

His advice to young entrepreneurs is simple:

“Do not treat sustainability as a marketing label. Treat it as a design principle. Build it into how you make money, not just how you talk about your business.”

By helping riders earn more while reducing emissions, Volt is proving that clean mobility is not just possible; it is already happening.

The post MEET RICHARD, BUILDING RWANDA’S ELECTRIC FUTURE appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The Future of Entrepreneurship in the Sahel

Webmaster — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 08:24:32 +0000

The Sahel region has long been plagued by economic instability, security concerns, and limited access to resources. The region’s youth face significant barriers to employment and entrepreneurship, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure, education, and financial services.

In this context, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched the TEF-UNDP Sahel Entrepreneurship Programme, in 2019, to foster economic growth and stability through entrepreneurship.

The Sahel region’s economies are predominantly agrarian, with limited industrial and service sector development. The pervasive insecurity and climate-related challenges, such as desertification and erratic rainfall, further constrain economic opportunities. According to the World Bank, the Sahel’s GDP growth has been hindered by these systemic issues, leading to high levels of poverty and unemployment, particularly among the youth. In this challenging environment, entrepreneurship emerges as a critical pathway to economic empowerment, providing an avenue for job creation, innovation, and sustainable development.

Despite the logistical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the TEF-UNDP Sahel Entrepreneurship Programme conducted a thorough evaluation and the findings underscore the Programme’s substantial impact on the participants’ economic and personal lives.

One of the standout outcomes of the programme is the significant increase in the proportion of entrepreneurs earning between $101-$150 and those earning above $150, by 40% and 62%, respectively. This shift suggests that the programme successfully elevated the financial status of its participants, helping many transition from zero income to a more stable and sustainable financial footing. This improvement in income levels is crucial in a region where economic opportunities are scarce and underscores the programme’s role in fostering financial independence.

Beyond economic gains, the programme also positively influenced the participants’ quality of life. Approximately 50% of the respondents reported an overall improvement in their quality of life, encompassing personal, household, and community aspects, the broader perception of enhanced quality of life indicates that the programme’s benefits extend beyond material gains.

Looking Ahead:

The TEF-UNDP Sahel Entrepreneurship Programme has demonstrated the transformative potential of targeted entrepreneurial support in fostering economic and social change. As we reflect on these outcomes, it becomes clear that sustained investment in entrepreneurship is vital for the Sahel’s future. The Programme’s success sets a precedent for future initiatives, highlighting the importance of comprehensive support systems, including access to funding, mentorship, and market opportunities.

For a deeper dive into the full impact assessment and to explore the stories of the entrepreneurs who have thrived through this initiative, we invite you to read the full report available on the impact reports page of website. This report not only details the outcomes of the 2019 pilot programme but also offers valuable insights into the broader implications for economic development in the Sahel region.

The post The Future of Entrepreneurship in the Sahel appeared first on The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Meet 2019 TEF Alumni, Mechi Amaah who is into production of organic and eco-friendly cosmetics

Webmaster — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:40:30 +0000

Funding for cosmetic business in Cameroon: The cosmetics sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow over the next two years. Overall, the African beauty and personal care market was estimated at €6.93 billion in 2012 and it currently increases between 8% and 10% per year against a global market growth rate of close to 4%. It was expected to have reached €10 billion in 2017 when the continent’s total population, the fastest growing in the world, passed 1.2 billion inhabitants. The Nigerian beauty and personal care market is experiencing rapid and dynamic growth, providing lucrative opportunities for beauty businesses from around the region and beyond. The market is currently worth an estimated US$3 billion, according to Euromonitor International, and its value is likely to rise to keep pace, with an increasing number of working women with disposable income as well as sophisticated youth searching for new ways to care for and present themselves. (allafrica.com)

After losing her father in his early life, Mechi Amaah had to look after pigs and sell them under her mother’s supervision to provide for their necessities. Upon getting to the university, she did business selling various things to make ends meet and decided to settle on manufacturing and selling hair products solely.

How Mechi started with the cosmetic business idea

Mechi founded Black and Natural Cosmetics, a 100% organic cosmetic manufacturing company aimed to encourage the consumption of organic hair cosmetics, initially and subsequently, skin cosmetics. To join environmental protection and sustainable development, Black and Natural Cosmetics derives all its ingredients from plants, some of which are organically processed.

Mechi Amaah was about expanding his business when COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and everywhere was under lockdown. However, the seed capital she got from the foundation enabled her to diversify and employ 2 more workers, thereby saving her business from liquidation. Coupled with the training received on the programme on business management, she has been able to take her business to another level and created a high level of impact in her community.

“The training the program offered, helped me to keep tabs on my mission, vison and most importantly, my finances. Ever since the program, I can proudly say the books of my businesses are in order.”

Funding for Mechi’s cosmetic business idea

Since getting the grant, she has employed 4 more staff to help with her business and now has 7 employees working directly under her. Also, her annual revenue has increased by 70%, with her opening two other companies and awards to her name.

“To give back to my community, i have created jobs and am currently working on an accelerator program to train young girls with vocational training skills that can enable them gain employment or start up their own business. This will go a long way to reduce unemployment in my community and country.”

Being a graduate of accounting, she helps budding entrepreneurs set their accounts straight and helps them plan their business. Currently, she has built a community of about 30 entrepreneurs. These will go a long way to reducing unemployment in her community and country.

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

 The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries, and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has trained over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFconnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.

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Meet 2019 TEF Alumni, Olusegun Ayodele who was funded for his sachet water business idea

Webmaster — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:24:04 +0000

Funding for sachet water business idea: Water, second to oxygen, has been identified to be very important to human existence because it is very necessary for survival. A reliable supply of clean wholesome water is crucial to promoting healthy living amongst the inhabitants of a well-defined geographical region. proffer a solution to the water problem, it was estimated that 1.2 billion people around the world do not have access to clean safe water and about 2.5 billion people are not provided with adequate sanitation (Third world water forum, 2003).

In Nigeria, the supply or provision of public drinking water is not reliable. Ground water and pipe-borne water are the major sources of drinking water. These sources are said to be unsafe sources of drinking water because findings indicated that groundwater sources contain trace elements, dissolved solids and pathogens in excessive quantities that may be dangerous to the health of the people.

Identifying the clean water problem

The realization of the renewed global commitments toward the millennium Development Goals (MDGs) required the development of locally sourced alternative low-cost drinking water schemes that will provide sustainable access to safe drinking water in both rural and urban settings in developing countries (UNDESA, 2004).

Sachet water belongs to the lower consumption segment in the beverage and water sector. However, it accounts for about 70% of total packaged water sold in Nigeria and only about 18% of urban households in Nigeria depend on packaged sachet water as the primary source of drinking water.

Fund for his Clean Sachet Water Business Idea

This challenges and the need to address them prompted Olusegun to set up Dotsom Enterprise, a company that produces quality and hygienic sachet water.

Dotsom Enterprise is an approved firm that wants to solve the problems of clean water scarcity by providing unique, innovative, and wholesome sachet water with 20 percent extra value at same price with competitors to meet rising needs for wholesome and affordable water in satisfactory quantity.

“The rising demand for wholesome water particularly during hot weather in my locality and its environs is yet to be adequately met as many are always in search of clean and affordable water at every season. The present supply cannot meet popular demand. Hence, my firm is strategizing to meet these needs by introducing 70cl sachet water which represents 20% – 30% extra value to customers as against competitors’ 50cl/60cl that are currently available in the marketplace.”

Olusegun decided to be an entrepreneur for the passion he had for it and ultimately to meet the needs for wholesome sachet water in his locality. He was motivated by the inadequacy of quality sachet water in his community.

“I wanted to change the situation of shortage of good sachet water in my community with my business. This was so important because it has direct impact on the health situations of the people in my locality.”

Currently, he has 11 people under his direct employ and generates revenue ranging from $500 to $600 monthly, and the company’s market share has increased by 20%. With this, the transmission of diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio, which causes the death of 100,000 children under the age of 5 in Nigeria yearly, is greatly reduced.

“The TEF programme has indeed helped me realized my dream of meeting the needs for wholesome and quality sachet water in my locality. Most importantly, the TEF training, funding and mentorship have made a whole lot of difference and greatly changed my entire life.”

Olusegun has explored the opportunity of becoming a consultant to others in the field of water production. He is also tutoring potential entrepreneurs on how to kick start a successful business venture.

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

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Meet 2017 TEF Alumni, Jonathan Azua Who is creating jobs through cleaning and maintenance business

Webmaster — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:01:29 +0000

Seed capital for cleaning and maintenance business: In Nigeria, in the first quarter of 2021, a report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on its website noted that Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate has risen from 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, to 33 per cent. Aside from making it the second Highest on Global List, the NBS report, going by analysis, shows that ‘more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s working-age population is younger than 34. Unemployment for people aged 15 to 24 stood at 53.4 per cent in the fourth quarter and at 37.2 per cent for people aged 25 to 34.

Identifying this problem

While growing up, Jonathan saw his mom engaged in petty trading in a bid to make ends meet, while his brothers were actively engaged in schooling with the aim of improving their chances in order to get good jobs. At the same time, he saw his mom and other traders make wholesome daily profits, as a result he decided to be an entrepreneur so that he will not only make money but provide jobs for the people around him.

Jonathan Azua owns a Luxuriant cleaning and maintenance company the company that aims at giving customers a higher cleaning experience, this clear promise of value helped to incentivize their first users, even today, this has remained their message and an integral part of their organizational culture. The nexus and common theme of the organization is how to make a difference in the lives of customers, users, and stakeholders.

Seed Capital for Cleaning and Maintenance Business

For Jonathan, the training and the seed capital provided by the programme was a turning point in his entrepreneurship journey.

“Two things stood out for me in the TEF program, the training and the seed capital. Before the training I was managing a business in the informal sector, while I was largely successful at that level, I never knew there were things I was doing wrong, for example, the training helped me to understand important concepts such as corporate governance and structure, it kind of covered something small about everything a business is all about, the training armed me with the knowledge I needed to succeed at scale.

Also, he believes seed capital was a huge leverage, which was a tool for him to achieve his dream. When he started out, he made up his mind that this may be the only business fund he may ever have, so he would not fail himself. He went about investing with that mindset, and as of today, he has about 5 companies in his group just from a single seed, and he believes that the future holds much more for his business in abundance in terms of revenue generation and impact.

“The seed capital changed my life forever, all that I will ever become in life is tied to that seed capital.”

The group makes in excess of $10,000 annually in revenue generation, with over 20 direct and indirect employees.

Currently, they are expanding beyond their primary geographic market segment (Yobe state), as they attempt to become a national player by opening outlets in strategic markets.

“We are proud to be an employer of labour seeing that our country is grappling with an unprecedented unemployment rate, while making money is good business, beyond that, we are proud of being able to gainfully employ people and taking them out of the street, as a result. We see our contributions to the country’s GDP as the hallmark of our work, while our ability to provide goods and services that solve customers’ problems daily has been resounding and encouraging.”

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

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Meet 2019 TEF Alumni, Gladys Chibanda Who is into the Production of handmade Ankara crafts

Webmaster — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 16:02:41 +0000

Funding for Ankara Crafts in Zimbabwe: Textiles and clothing are a fundamental part of everyday life and an important sector in the global economy. The production of cotton accounts for almost 7% of all employment in some low-income countries. Although today’s biggest textile-producing countries are China and India, “made in Africa” is gaining traction. Many brands are moving their production from Asian to African countries.

The demand for African designs, textiles, and garments is increasing within and beyond the continent. Currently, in sub-Saharan Africa, the combined apparel and footwear market is estimated at USD 31 billion. The textile industry in Africa is estimated to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of ~5% over the forecast period of 2019–2024.

Identifying this problem

Gladys is a young award-winning creative entrepreneur who is well known for her bespoke, eco-friendly, handmade Ankara notebooks and gift set. She has managed to use her love for art in an extraordinary way. In her quest to challenge the status quo, fighting against discrimination and stigma, Gladys successfully elevated the crafts industry, proving that it is a viable industry and that the craft business can be a profession. Having been raised in an entrepreneurial family, she implemented her experience and knowledge by starting her own business. She used her artistic abilities to develop a firebrand called Krafted Ink, innovative art and craft-oriented organization.

Specializing in African textile journals and gift packaging, mastered the art of combining colors in making gift packaging to ensure lasting smiles in the lives of people. The handmade products include journals, diaries, gift bags, and gift boxes using African print fabric. Gladys started her journey at the age of 21 out of her desire to uphold the African ideals of sharing presents. She has been crafting memories ever since.

Making Handmade Ankara Crafts

Gladys achieved this feat thanks to the TEF program, which helped in achieving her dreams as an entrepreneur.

“Without the Tony Elumelu Foundation Programme, there was no way, not a chance that my business idea was going to take off. The program not only helped the business plan, but it also put me through how to evaluate customer acquisitions, and the business canvas helped me to break down where I was going to get resources. Furthermore, I learned how to establish smart partnerships with Entrepreneurs across Africa because I was exposed to the network during the program.”

“We had an increased visibility that helped our users from 50 per year to more than 50,000 users now and still counting with more than 10 distributors across the 36 states.”

She recently launched an impact project titled ‘Dignity for her product’ to provide a holistic approach to drive change through product, education, and Advocacy, bundled alongside comprehensive menstrual hygiene management and sexual reproductive health programming for adolescent girls. So far, 300 girls have been trained with the hope of training 2000 by the end of 2022.

A revenue model allowing these girls to earn commissions from the sale of Virtuous Reusable Pads was established, empowering them, and making them less vulnerable. The innovation is to assign the girls’ guardians as drop shippers for reusable pads in the community. The girls then sell these pads within their community, creating economic opportunities and helping break the poverty cycle.

She pitched for another grant and won an additional $15000, $5000 from AGS tribe Enterprise Challenge, winning first place during the pitch competition (Now Herconomy E), and $10000 from the funding space 2019 through the Rising tide Africa during the pitch competition.

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

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Meet 2019 TEF Alumni, Tabitha Abimiku Who is Making Reusable Sanitary Products Accessible & Affordable to Girls

Webmaster — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:29:39 +0000

Funding for Sanitary Products: Poor sanitary materials affect the social and mental well-being of females in low resource setting. Many use a health compromising material which undermines their safety and dignity. Research shows that girl’s capacity to manage period is affected by lack of access to affordable hygiene materials, leading to school absenteeism, reduced level of concentration in class, and low participation. Many are dissatisfied by the sanitary materials they could access thereby depriving girls’ school days.

Identifying this problem

Drawn to the need of adolescent girls, Tabitha Abimiku decided to become a social entrepreneur. She discovered that only one out of ten girls use a sanitary pad; others settle for more unhygienic options like rags and banana leaves which have serious adverse health effects, with some girls missing school during this period. Driven by the need to provide a lasting solution to this problem, she did her research and developed Virtuous core Reusable Pad in 2018.

Making Reusable Sanitary Products

Before her encounter with the TEF program, she never got the validation, support, or acceptance she needed; on the verge of giving up her dream, she got selected for the 2019 TEF program. She got visibility and validation for business; it gave her confidence that her company could transform Africa, which increased her confidence level and knowledge and capacity building during the program.

The seed funding has been very crucial in scaling her business by enabling her increase production.

“With the seed funding of $5000, she was able to purchase machinery and increase her turn out from 10 from 5000 pieces of pad per day; with this, she expanded the business and moved from producing at home to a NAFDAC-approved factory.”

Tabitha Abimiku has created 8 new jobs since funding and has increased her annual revenue from $6,000S to $47,000 since funding.

Furthermore, her business has gotten more visibility across the country and have produced sanitary products for reputable organizations like EHA clinic and Urban Shelter Limited.

“We had an increased visibility that helped our users from 50 per year to more than 50,000 users now and still counting with more than 10 distributors across the 36 states.”

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

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Meet 2015 TEF Alumni, Olabisi Akanbi Who is Improving the environment through integrated waste management practice

Webmaster — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:43:08 +0000

Funding for Integrated Waste Management Business: As of 2018, around 59 percent of the waste generated in Nigeria was informally disposed. These informal disposal methods include open dumping, unregulated landfills, composting, and dumping into channels, streams and rivers. These constituted a nuisance and served as an avenue for several forms of pollution, and environmental degradation thereby jeopardizing the health of the masses.

Identifying this problem

Olabisi Akanbi decided to provide a solution by setting up a business that collects, reuses, recovers, and recycles waste products. EMSMAT uses branded metal drums, plastic wheeled bins, and cellophane waste bags as storage devices and to evacuate solid waste from their clients every 7 days interval. We have started operation on a pilot scale since September 2012 by using hired vehicles before procuring our own truck which are been loaded and offloaded manually. Every client gets registered by filling out our registration form with a registration fee of N3,000 and receives the waste bin in less than 24 hours.

The Integrated Waste Business Solution

Our price range according to a major market segment in our customer base is as follows: Single Household/family dwelling (N500), Multifamily dwellings (N1,000), Light industries like bakeries, eateries, etc (N2,000), Small Hotels, banks, mini estate (N5,000), Big Hotels, Hospitals (N10,000) and among others. There are 4,197 clients in the area.

At full capacity by procuring at least two (2) numbers of fairly foreign used (Tokunbo) waste compacting trucks at (N4,900,000) each totalled (N9,800,000) to evacuate at least 1,200 Clients on weekly basis with the support of TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION PROGRAMME, the company will realize a monthly turnover of (N4,111,200) with about 15 employments will be newly created.

“My business is changing the attitude of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways, drainages, uncompleted buildings and even on roads by the citizens of Keffi Nasarawa State Nigeria. We offer waste bins to Keffi community to curb the menace caused by the indiscriminate dumping of refuse, we collect this waste on weekly basis from individual premises, sorting, processing the recyclable waste materials and dispose non-recyclable materials for farmers as fertilizers.”

Although his business operation started on a pilot scale in 2012, there was need for funding to scale up his business and increase his revenue. The $5000 TEF grant has been the beginning of his business success. He has created 6 new jobs and has increased his revenue to $4500. His waste management business has also been beneficial to the environment as the child mortality rate has been reduced as over 10,000 people in the communities where they work now have access to a safe, clean and healthy environment. He also conducts public sensitization about how to maintain personal hygiene and safe environment.

ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

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