{"id":28014,"date":"2025-08-26T16:36:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/?p=28014"},"modified":"2025-08-26T16:36:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:36:49","slug":"investing-in-nigeria-the-challenges-and-the-opportunities-an-entrepreneurs-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/interviews-speeches\/investing-in-nigeria-the-challenges-and-the-opportunities-an-entrepreneurs-perspective","title":{"rendered":"Investir na Nig\u00e9ria: Os desafios e as oportunidades - A perspetiva de um empres\u00e1rio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sobre August 26, 2025<\/strong>, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) hosted the International Business Conference and Expo<\/strong> no Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights of the event was the Key Private Sector Remarks<\/strong> entregue por Dr. Awele V. Elumelu, OFR<\/strong> - Director at Heirs Holdings, Founder of Avon HMO and Avon Medical, and Co-Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Speaking on the theme, \u201cInvesting in Nigeria: The Challenges and the Opportunities \u2013 The Entrepreneur\u2019s Perspective,\u201d<\/em>Dr. Elumelu shared insights on the realities of doing business in Nigeria, balancing both the hurdles entrepreneurs face and the immense opportunities waiting to be unlocked in Africa\u2019s largest economy. Read her speech below;<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Good morning, Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> I want to thank the Chamber for this invitation and for creating a platform where the private sector, policymakers, and global partners can come together to talk honestly about the opportunities on our continent.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> It is a pleasure to join you at this year\u2019s International Business Conference, and I again thank the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Today, I have been asked to share my perspective on investing in Nigeria \u2014 and to shed light on both the challenges and the opportunities.<\/p>\n

I stand here not just as a medical doctor, but as an entrepreneur, an investor, and above all, a strong believer in the power of the private sector to transform our economy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Nigerian Context<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Our country is blessed with abundant natural resources. But equally, we face enormous unmet needs. For investors, unmet needs are not barriers \u2014 they are business opportunities waiting to be unlocked.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> A few statistics frame this conversation:<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Nigeria is home to over 226 million people, Africa\u2019s most populous nation and the 6th largest population in the world.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Our median age is just 18 years.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Over 60% of Nigerians are under the age of 30 \u2014 making us the youngest nation in the world.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>By 2025, our population will reach 237.5 million, and by 2050, we are projected to be the third most populous country globally.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> What does this mean? It means we are sitting on a goldmine: a massive market, a future workforce, and a generation of innovators waiting for someone to believe in them. But this can also become a challenge if not properly harnessed for human progress.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Challenges \u2014 and the Opportunities:<\/b><\/p>\n

1.<\/b> <\/b>Economic Instability & Youth Empowerment<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> One of our most pressing challenges is economic instability. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of families. Businesses struggle to survive. Unemployment, especially among youth, is a ticking time bomb. But this is also our greatest opportunity. Our young people are dynamic, ambitious, and entrepreneurial. If we give them the right tools \u2014 skills, access to capital, and an enabling environment \u2014 they will unleash one of the most vibrant workforces in the world.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> That is why my husband and I founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2010, committing $100 million to empower African entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Today, over 24,000 young entrepreneurs have received seed capital. Collectively, they have created over 1.5 million jobs and generated over $4.2 billion in revenue, pulling over 2 million Africans out of poverty.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> This is the power of the private sector \u2014 transforming lives, one entrepreneur at a time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.<\/b> <\/b>Power<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Despite our vast gas reserves, millions of Nigerians still lack access to electricity. The economy loses about $26 billion annually to poor power supply.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Businesses spend more on self-generation than on innovation. Without reliable electricity, how do we grow industries? How do we create jobs?<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> At Heirs Holdings, we invested in power through Transcorp Group, turning around dormant assets. This is Africapitalism in action \u2014 private capital aligning profit with purpose, filling gaps where others fail, and creating prosperity that is shared.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3.<\/b> <\/b>Assist\u00eancia m\u00e9dica<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> This challenge is personal to me. Nigeria loses over $1.5 billion annually to medical tourism. That is capital flight \u2014 but also an opportunity. \u00a0Why should Nigerians travel abroad for treatment when we can build world-class facilities here? Why export patients and in addition, why lose manpower when we can retain skills and create jobs?<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Through Avon Medical and Avon HMO, we chose to act. We are building hospitals and clinics, and providing affordable health insurance \u2014 because access is as critical as quality.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> This is how entrepreneurs think: see the problem, create the solution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4.<\/b> <\/b>Infrastructure<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Nigeria\u2019s infrastructure gap is glaring. Roads, transport, clean water, sanitation \u2014 we are lagging behind. Poor infrastructure raises business costs and stifles growth.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> But again, this is an opportunity: for investors in logistics, transport, housing, and infrastructure development.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion & Call to Action<\/b><\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> Fellow business leaders, these challenges are real. But so is our capacity to overcome them.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Africa has had sympathy from the international community. Now, Africa needs more investments.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Africa has had handouts. Now, Africa needs more partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>Africa has had outsiders telling our story. Now, Africa needs entrepreneurs writing the future with our own hands, and through our successes<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> So, my call to everyone is simple:<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>To governments: create enabling environments, consistent policies, and encourage the private sector.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>To the private sector: do not wait for perfection \u2014 start, build, innovate, invest, and solve.<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/span> <\/b>To global partners: join us not as patrons, but as peers.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> The future of Nigeria \u2014 and of Africa \u2014 is not being written in New York, London, or Beijing. It is being written here: in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> And it will be written by those who see opportunity where others see obstacles, and who have the courage to act.<\/p>\n

\u25aa<\/span> That is the spirit that will define Nigeria\u2019s transformation.<\/p>\n

That is the legacy we must all commit to.<\/p>\n

Obrigado.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. AVE<\/b><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Em 26 de agosto de 2025, a C\u00e2mara de Com\u00e9rcio e Ind\u00fastria de Lagos (LCCI) acolheu a Confer\u00eancia e Exposi\u00e7\u00e3o Internacional de Neg\u00f3cios no Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Um dos destaques do evento foram os principais coment\u00e1rios do setor privado feitos pelo Dr. Awele V. Elumelu, OFR - Diretor da Heirs Holdings, Fundador da Avon ...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":28016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews-speeches"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28014"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28017,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28014\/revisions\/28017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tonyelumelufoundation.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}