The Tony Elumelu Foundation co-hosted a roundtable, showcasing two ground-breaking initiatives, with partners UNICEF GenU, United Nations Development Programme, IKEA Foundation and UBA America, on the side-lines of #UNGA78.

We presented our impact report: “The Tony Elumelu Foundation: A Decade of Impact”. Independently produced, it highlights the significant contribution of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in advancing Africa’s development. This journey started 13 years ago, when my wife and I committed $100m to the Foundation, to democratize luck and empower young, brilliant Africans – our way of contributing to the development of our continent.

The results from rigorous data analysis, interviews, and questionnaires from over 3000 TEF entrepreneurs and those who did not join our Programme, were gratifying and I urge you to read it. Listening in the room to the transformative journeys of TEF beneficiaries, who narrated how their businesses have not just blossomed, but created jobs and economic transformation for their communities was moving – demonstrating the kind of catalytic transformation Africa needs now.

Secondly, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in partnership with UNICEF Gen-U and the IKEA Foundation launched a Green entrepreneurship programme #BeGreenAfrica, empowering Green African entrepreneurs with the seed funding, training and mentoring, required to develop innovative solutions to tackle Africa’s climate problems. African green entrepreneurs can apply on www.TEFConnect.com.

We all see the devastating impact of climate change. We see how our young ones migrate due to hopelessness and under the harshest conditions. We want to put an end to this. And to do this, we must all collaborate; all of us working together to prioritize our young, bringing our women into mainstream economic activities, and most importantly, to alleviate poverty, through entrepreneurship.

I am so proud of the achievements of The Tony Elumelu Foundation over the last decade – we have lit a beacon. We need that beacon to shine even brighter, and for that, we need the support and collaboration.

I thank all our partners who have been part of our journey of creating economic hope for young people across the 54 African countries – the Tony Elumelu Foundation remains committed to democratising economic opportunities for young African entrepreneurs, and I look forward to strengthening partnerships that will enable us catalyse more support for more African entrepreneurs.