We all did it…. We made it through 2021. Another year of the global pandemic, uncertainty, challenge, but also opportunity.

As we enter 2022, I wanted to write personally, as we plan for the future and create new goals.  I want to share a little of my own story and what I call the #TOEWAY and the core values that guide me.  These values have helped me personally and professionally, and are incredibly important for every young African entrepreneur to imbibe, learn, thrive, and grow from.

The first is Execution.

Execution demands that we focus on results. It gives us a sense of urgency.  A commitment to our objectives. We must be meticulous. There is a discipline of getting things done.  There is a temptation to put things off – we should shun excuses, and needless explanations. Remain driven and committed to that goal. Committed to going that extra mile.  Be known for your dependability, and be consistent in delivering results.

The second is Excellence.

To achieve excellence, there must be a sense of professionalism across everything you do. You cannot be guided by the short term or emotional sentiments. Strive to be fair and objective at all times. Lead with integrity. Be exceptional, stand out for your disciplined and rigor. Prioritize your customers and give them the best experience that you can offer. Be respectful of your peers, subordinates and leaders.

Our final value is on Enterprise.

What is enterprise?  It is about doing things differently – to seek out new ways. Not change for changes sake, but because our increasingly complex world demands new answers to new challenges.  It is the essence of entrepreneurship.  It is what can set you apart, raise you up, change your life – and those around you.

As my wife, Dr. Elumelu stated in a recent interview, your generation, in addition to being smart and technology savvy, is entrepreneurial.  You have refused to follow the traditional paths that we took in our day, where a lawyer was just a lawyer, who gradually and patiently climbed the career ladder, or a doctor was just a doctor or an engineer just an engineer.  This generation is entrepreneurial and solutions-driven and so, are applying their academic knowledge along with digital savvy to solve endemic social and economic issues.  Your businesses have improved the ease of cross-border payments, intra-Africa logistics, and even improved representation in new tech-driven sectors – it knows no boundaries.

I was born in Africa, raised in Africa, studied in Africa, worked in Africa, and have achieved success in Africa.  Beyond business success, one must always look for ways not only to give back, but also to empower the generation coming behind us so that they can go even further than we have.  That is how we can enact this social and economic change that we are all seeking in our continent and in our world today. As a parent, one’s desire is for your children to do better and so we strive to provide the resources and materials that they need to ensure that they go far in life. Similarly, at the Foundation, we are equipping the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.

Indeed, we are committed to your future. I am invested in your success. Your success is our success. In 2021, the Tony Elumelu Foundation received 406,257 applications from all 54 African countries and provided training to 206,550 – more than 50% of applicants. In 2021 alone, we disbursed USD$24.75m to 5,000 African entrepreneurs, demonstrating our mission to catalyse economic growth, drive poverty eradication and ensure job creation on the continent.

This is why on this first day of 2022, we are opening the 2022 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme Application portal on TEFConnect.net! Entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries can apply for the opportunity of a lifetime to receive $5,000 non-refundable seed capital, world-class business management training, mentorship, and access to key networks and markets.

I am a product of luck and hard work and know first-hand that these factors are inextricable if you want to succeed.  If you wonder how you can achieve your goals, as I have said earlier, know that the first step is to be disciplined. Choose discipline as your daily practice.  Nurture the mindset of longevity in all areas of your thinking. Embrace challenges; there is no success without sacrifices. Whether it is in your business, personal life or relationships, a new year is a clean slate.  It is a chance to set goals, commit to them, and prepare your mind for the discipline that is required for growth and success.

For many young people, beginnings can be scary and uncertain, charged with many decisions to make and ambitions to fulfil. You know that you are increasingly ambitious. Take advantage of this opportunity of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme to drive change in your life, in that of your family, your local community!

As we usher in the 3^rd year of living through a pandemic, do not to lose hope. Entrepreneurship is years of hard work, long hours, and unquantifiable sacrifices.  Your capacity to thrive and remain committed despite temporary setbacks, will have significant impact in realising your dreams.

Let us all look forward to a productive year ahead of achieving all of our goals.

To those who have not yet been awarded, do not forget to apply, and please share with a friend!

TOE

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Desde 2015, o Programa de Empreendedorismo TEF – o único catalisador de empreendedorismo de seu tipo financiado pela África – capacitou 15.847 empreendedores Africanos com capital inicial não reembolsável de $ 5.000 cada; doze semanas de treinamento em gestão de negócios; acesso a mentores experientes; e adesão ao maior ecossistema empresarial da África.

Em 2021, a Fundação Tony Elumelu desembolsou US $ 24,75 milhões para 5.000 empreendedores Africanos em toda a África para seu Programa de Empreendedorismo 2021. O Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação continua a ser uma das maiores respostas do setor privado para impulsionar a recuperação econômica de jovens Africanos, mulheres e PMEs, dados os efeitos da pandemia covid19 em toda a África. Em toda a África, os beneficiários do Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu estão iniciando e desenvolvendo empresas pioneiras que criaram coletivamente mais de 400.000 empregos diretos e indiretos.

De acordo com a Empreendedora Tony Elumelu 2015, Hauwa Liman, dona e fundadora de uma empresa denominada Afrik Abaya: “Tenho sempre orgulho de dizer que faço parte da coorte inaugural do Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu. Minha empresa está localizada em Kaduna, no norte da Nigéria. Eu me beneficiei desse Programa em 2015, e ele me abriu muitas portas e oportunidades. Não se trata apenas do capital semente, mas o que realmente me fascina no Programa é o conhecimento. Chamo isso de mini-programa de MBA, porque desde a fase de idealização ensina como realmente articular o seu negócio, e me deu meu primeiro plano de negócios. A rede, a visibilidade e as oportunidades são infinitas. Minha experiência de empreendedorismo não pode ser completa sem a Fundação Tony Elumelu. Vou começar a exportar para outros países em breve, cortesia da Fundação. Agora empregamos dez funcionários permanentes e oito funcionários adicionais com base em comissão. ”

Comentando sobre o lançamento do Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu 2022, o CEO da Fundação Tony Elumelu, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, compartilhou: “Ficamos constantemente impressionados com a qualidade dos negócios que vêm da África todos os anos. Isso nos motiva a escalar nossos esforços para capacitar ainda mais empreendedores no continente. A inovação, o conhecimento e a resiliência dos empreendedores Africanos são fundamentais para mapear a transformação socioeconômica da África e cumprir os objetivos de desenvolvimento do continente. Também estamos orgulhosos do aumento da participação feminina em nosso Programa, especialmente com a coorte de 2021, onde testemunhamos uma seleção recorde de 68% de mulheres empresárias ”.

O curador fundador da Fundação Tony Elumelu, Dr. A. V. Elumelu declarou: “Por meio do Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu, buscamos democratizar a sorte. O trabalho árduo desempenha um papel importante e inegável no sucesso, mas não se deve desconsiderar o papel da sorte – alguém que está disposto a arriscar com você ou com uma ideia de negócio ao capacitá-lo por meio de treinamento, orientação ou financiamento. Nossa esperança é que, por meio do Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu, possamos ajudar o próximo líder empresarial ou capitão da indústria a ser quem ele deve ser. Esta é a nossa maneira de retribuir e também de capacitar a geração que está atrás de nós para que possam ir ainda mais longe do que nós. Como pai, o desejo é que seus filhos se saiam melhor do que você e, assim, você fornecerá os recursos e materiais de que eles precisam para garantir que durem muito. Da mesma forma, na Fundação estamos equipando a próxima geração com as ferramentas de que precisam para ter sucesso ”.

Como principal defensora do empreendedorismo na África, a Fundação Tony Elumelu  está capacitando mulheres e homens em todo o continente Africano por meio do empreendedorismo para catalisar o crescimento econômico, promover a erradicação da pobreza e garantir a criação de empregos. A missão da Fundação está enraizada na filosofia do Africanpitalismo, que posiciona o setor privado como o principal facilitador da criação de riqueza econômica e social na África. Por meio do TEFConnect, a plataforma digital proprietária da Fundação, ela forneceu suporte de capacitação, consultoria e vínculos de mercado para mais de 1,5 milhão de Africanos.

O Programa de Empreendedorismo da Fundação Tony Elumelu está aberto a empreendedores em toda a África: novas start-ups e empresas jovens existentes, operando em qualquer setor. Os candidatos em potencial devem se inscrever agora no hub de rede digital para empresários Africanos, www.tefconnect.net. Para obter uma lista dos empreendedores Tony Elumelu de 2021 selecionados e mais informações sobre nosso programa, visite o site da Fundação Tony Elumelu aqui.

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Depuis 2015, le programme d’entrepreneuriat TEF – le seul catalyseur d’entrepreneuriat africain financé en son genre – a doté 15 847 entrepreneurs africains avec un capital d’amorçage non remboursable de 5 000 $ chacun ; douze semaines de formation en gestion d’affaires ; accès à des mentors expérimentés; et l’adhésion au plus grand écosystème entrepreneurial d’Afrique.

En 2021, la Fondation Tony Elumelu a versé 24,75 millions de dollars US à 5 000 entrepreneurs africains à travers l’Afrique pour son programme d’entrepreneuriat 2021. Le programme d’entrepreneuriat de la Fondation reste l’une des plus grandes réponses du secteur privé pour stimuler la reprise économique des jeunes, des femmes et des PME africains compte tenu des effets de la pandémie de covid19 à travers l’Afrique. À travers l’Afrique, les bénéficiaires du programme d’entrepreneuriat de la Fondation Tony Elumelu lancent et développent des entreprises pionnières qui ont collectivement créé plus de 400 000 emplois directs et indirects.

According to 2015 entrepreneur Tony Elumelu, Hauwa Liman, female business owner and founder of Afrik Abaya: “I am always proud to say that I am part of the inaugural cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship program. My company is located in Kaduna, in the north of Nigeria. I benefited from this program in 2015, and it opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for me. It’s not just the seed capital, but what really fascinates me about the program is the knowledge. I call it a mini-MBA program because from the ideation stage it teaches you how to really articulate your business and it gave me my first business plan. The network, visibility and opportunities are endless. My entrepreneurial experience cannot be complete without the Tony Elumelu Foundation. I will soon start exporting to other countries thanks to the Foundation. We now employ ten permanent employees and eight additional employees on the commission.”

Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program, Tony Elumelu Foundation CEO Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu said: “We are constantly blown away by the quality of companies that come from Africa each year. This motivates us to step up our efforts to empower even more entrepreneurs on the continent. The innovation, knowledge and resilience of African entrepreneurs are essential to map Africa’s socio-economic transformation and achieve the continent’s development goals. We are also proud of the increased participation of women in our program, especially with the 2021 cohort where we witnessed a record 68% selection of women entrepreneurs.”

they can go even further than us. As a parent, the desire that your children can do better than you and that you provide the resources and materials they need to make sure they are successful in life. Likewise, at the Foundation, we are equipping the next generation with the tools they need to be successful.”

As the first champion of entrepreneurship in Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation empowers women and men across the African continent through entrepreneurship to catalyze economic growth, drive poverty eradication and ensure job creation. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in the philosophy of Africapitalism , which positions the private sector as the essential provider of economic and social wealth creation in Africa. Through TeFconnect , the Foundation’s exclusive digital platform, it has been provided capacity building support, advisory advice and market connections to more than 1.5 million Africans.

The Tony Elumeulu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program is open to entrepreneurs across Africa: new start-ups and existing start-ups, operating in any sector. Potential applicants should apply now on the digital hub for African entrepreneurs. www.tefconnect.net. For a list of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs selected in 2021 and more information about our program, please visit the Tony Elumulu Foundation website here.

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Lagos, Nigeria: The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, has opened applications for the 2022 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme on www.TEFConnect.com African entrepreneurs with business ideas or existing businesses under 5 years, are encouraged to apply now for $5000 seed capital, mentorship, business management training and more on the 2022 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme.

Since 2015, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme – the only African-funded entrepreneurship catalyst of its kind – has empowered 15,847 African entrepreneurs with non-returnable seed capital of $5,000 each; twelve weeks of business management training; access to experienced mentors; and membership to Africa’s largest entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In 2021, the Tony Elumelu Foundation disbursed USD$24.75 million to 5000 African entrepreneurs across Africa for its 2021 Entrepreneurship Programme. The Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme remains one of the largest private sector responses to driving the economic recovery of African youth, women and SMEs given the effects of the covid19 pandemic across Africa.  Across Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme beneficiaries are starting and growing trailblazing businesses that have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.

According to 2015 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, Hauwa Liman, female business owner and Founder of Afrik Abaya: “I am always proud to say that I am from the inaugural cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme. My business is located in Kaduna, in northern Nigeria. I benefitted from this Programme in 2015, and it opened up lots of doors and opportunities. It is not just about the seed capital, but what really fascinates me about the Programme is the knowledge. I call it a mini-MBA programme, because from the ideation stage it teaches you how to really articulate your business, and it gave me my first business plan. The network, visibility and opportunities are endless. My entrepreneurship experience cannot be complete without the Tony Elumelu Foundation. I will start exporting to other countries soon courtesy of the Foundation. We now employ ten permanent staff and an additional eight staff on a commission basis.”

Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu shared, “We are constantly blown away by the quality of businesses that come from Africa every year. This motivates us to scale our efforts to empower even more entrepreneurs on continent. The innovation, knowledge and resilience of African entrepreneurs is central to charting Africa’s socio-economic transformation and meet the continent’s development objectives. We are also proud of the increase in female participation on our Programme, especially with the 2021 cohort where we witnessed a record 68% selection of women entrepreneurs.”

Founding Trustee of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr. A V. Elumelu stated: “Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, we seek to democratise luck. Hard work plays an important and undeniable part in success, but one must not discount the role of luck – someone being willing to take a chance on you or business idea by empowering you through training, mentorship or funding. Our hope is that, through the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, we would help the next business leader or captain of industry be whom they are meant to be. This is our own way to give back and also to empower the generation coming behind us so that they can go even further than we have. As a parent, one’s desire is for your children to do better than you and so you will provide the resources and materials that they need to ensure that they go far in life. Similarly, at the Foundation we are equipping the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.”

As the foremost champion of entrepreneurship in Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is empowering women and men across the African continent through entrepreneurship to catalyse economic growth, drive poverty eradication and ensure job creation. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in the philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector as the key enabler of economic and social wealth creation in Africa. Through TEFConnect, the Foundation’s proprietary digital platform, it has provided capacity-building support, advisory and market linkages, to over 1.5 million Africans.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is open to entrepreneurs across Africa: new start-ups and existing young businesses, operating in any sector. Prospective applicants should apply now on the digital networking hub for African entrepreneurs, www.tefconnect.com For a list of the selected 2021 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs and more information on our programme, please visit the website of the Tony Elumelu Foundation here.

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