Launch of 2026 Aguka Ideation Programme

Applications Open 1 November for 100 Young Rwandans To Apply for Training and Funding

 

A Partnership of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the UNDP, the European Union, and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts

 

 

Lagos, Nigeria AND KIGALI, RWANDA – November 03, 2025 – The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU), and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts (MoYA), launches the fourth Aguka Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme, which will support for 100 young Rwandan entrepreneurs.

 

This follows the success of previous cohorts, empowering 300 young Rwandans, with USD $900,000 in total seed capital and business training.

 

Derived from the Kinyarwanda word “Aguka,” meaning “Arise”, the Programme reflects a shared mission to empower Rwanda’s youth to build sustainable businesses that transform communities. The 2026 Aguka Ideation Programme prioritises youth-led ventures in technology, agriculture, health, education, and renewable energy—key sectors driving Rwanda’s sustainable development agenda.

 

“At the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we remain deeply committed to empowering Africa’s next generation of changemakers,” said Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. “Aguka demonstrates how public-private partnerships can deliver real impact. Every young Rwandan with an idea holds the power to transform their community, create jobs, and contribute to Rwanda’s economic transformation.”

 

Programme Benefits include:

 

• Entrepreneurship training on TEFConnect covering business management, financial literacy, and sustainability.

 

• Expert mentorship from African business leaders and professionals.

 

• Seed capital of USD $3,000 to launch or scale ventures.

 

• Networking access to TEF’s continental entrepreneurship ecosystem.

 

Selected beneficiaries of previous Aguka cohorts have launched innovative businesses that are already making an impact across Rwanda:

 

• Naomi Iradukunda, founder of Ira EcoSolutions, who developed affordable biodegradable packaging, using banana fibres, reducing plastic waste, while creating jobs for women in Musanze District.

 

• Jean Bosco Hirwa, through AgriSmart Rwanda, introduced solar-powered irrigation systems to smallholder farmers, increasing yields and improving food security.

 

• Keza Umutoni, a Kigali-based entrepreneur, expanded her youth-led digital literacy start-up Tech4Teens, training over 500 secondary school students in coding and digital skills.

 

Applications for the 2026 Aguka Cohort open November 1, 2025, and close January 11, 2026, via www.TEFConnect.com. Selected entrepreneurs will undergo six weeks of intensive business training, followed by mentorship, business development support, and a national pitching competition. Each selected entrepreneur will receive USD $3,000 in non-refundable seed funding and lifetime access to TEF’s pan-African entrepreneurship network.

 

Read more about the programme’s impact aqui.

 

Sobre a Fundação Tony Elumelu

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is the leading philanthropy empowering African entrepreneurs. Through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, the Foundation has disbursed over USD $100 million in direct seed capital to 24,000 entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, who have collectively created over 1.5 million jobs and generated over USD $4.2 billion in revenue. TEF’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism — the belief that Africa’s private sector and entrepreneurs must drive the continent’s social and economic transformation.

 

Sobre o PNUD

 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in nearly 170 countries to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development. In Rwanda, UNDP partners with government, private sector, and civil society to promote youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

About the European Union

 

The European Union (EU) is a strategic partner supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development across Africa. In Rwanda, the EU collaborates with UNDP, TEF, and MoYA under the Aguka Programme to advance youth employment and innovation.

 

About the Ministry of Youth and Arts (MoYA), Rwanda

 

The Ministry of Youth and Arts (MoYA) leads national efforts to empower young people, promote creativity, and strengthen Rwanda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through programmes like Aguka, MoYA supports a generation of innovative and self-reliant youth.

 

 

For media enquiries:

Moyo Awotile

moyo.awotile@tonyelumelufoundation.org