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Tony Elumelu Foundation Selects Inaugural 1,000 African Entrepreneurs to Participate in the $100M Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme

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The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is pleased to announce the selection of the first 1,000 African entrepreneurs for the Tony Elumelu  Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP).  TEEP is a $100 million initiative to discover and support 10,000 African entrepreneurs over the next decade, with a target of creating one million new jobs and $10 billion in additional revenues in the process.

Over 20,000 African entrepreneurs from 52 countries applied to the programme, representing the creativity and potential on display across the continent.  The initial 1,000 selected for the 2015 class are a remarkable group of entrepreneurs who are a testament to the ability of Africa’s own entrepreneurs to drive Africa’s growth and development.

L-R: CEO, Spotone Global Solution, Senegal and Member, Selection Committee, Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP), Mariéme Jamme; Director, TEEP, Parminder Vir; Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony O. Elumelu; CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Reid Whitlock; CEO and Founder of Java Foods, Zambia and Member, Selection Committee, TEEP, Monica Musonda; Founder and Chair of Believe in Africa, Cameroon and Member, Selection Committee, Angelle Kwemo during the official announcement of the selection of the first 1,000 African entrepreneurs for the Tony Elumelu  Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) in Lagos yesterday.

 

Speaking on the desired impact of the programme, Founder, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CON, commented: “The selection of these 1000 entrepreneurs brings us closer to our ultimate goal – to drive Africa’s economic and social transformation from within and to radically intensify job creation in Africa.  Though I have never met or spoken to any of the winners, I am confident that due to the rigorous criteria and selection process, these entrepreneurs are Africa’s hope for the future.  I will continue to invest my experience, time, influence, and resources to see them succeed.  I am embarking on this journey with these entrepreneurs hopeful and inspired.”

The winners represent 52 African countries and territories, as well as a multitude of value adding sectors ranging from agriculture to education to fashion and ICT.  The top five countries in terms of numbers of winners are Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Ghana.  All five African regions – North, East, Southern, Central and West Africa are represented, as well as all major language blocs – Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, and Arabic Africa.  More than anything else, they epitomise the opportunity and promise of Africa.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation appointed Accenture as an independent review consultant to thoroughly evaluate each application based on selection criteria approved by the TEEP Selection Committee.   Following Accenture’s independent review, a meeting of the TEEP Selection Committee, made up of successful entrepreneurs and development experts from across Africa, was held today in Lagos to approve the final list of winners.

The 1000 selected entrepreneurs will continue through the programme cycle over the next nine months. This cycle includes an intensive online training curriculum, mentoring, and participation in a two-day entrepreneurship boot-camp and the Elumelu

Entrepreneurship Forum.  The over 19,000 entrepreneurs who were not selected will be invited to join the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Network where they will be able to further hone their entrepreneurial knowledge and skills.

Parminder Vir OBE, Director of Entrepreneurship at the Tony Elumelu Foundation, said: “The high quantity and quality of applicants we have received is testament to the brilliant ideas and incredible talent that exists in abundance across Africa. The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme will give structure and support to these African entrepreneurs to develop themselves and to grow their businesses. Through TEEP, the ripple effects of the long-term investments in a new generation of Africapitalists will be felt throughout the continent.”

For a full list of the winners, please visitwww.tonyelumelufoundation.org/teep

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FCTA uncovers illegal oil refining warehouse in Abuja

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In continuation of the city cleaning exercise, Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with operatives of security personnel have uncovered an illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu Bello way in Abuja.

 

The Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima after the operation on Thursday, said the illegal refining site was discovered during the continuation of the city cleaning exercise.

 

According to him, about three to four plot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to an area where oil and diesel are being adulterated and circulated to other parts of the city.

 

Galadima explained that the city sanitation task force will look into the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration for further actions on the plots used for the activity.

 

He said there was no arrest but the items used in carrying out the illegal refining have been impounded.

 

Galadima said, “During the continuation of our city sanitation exercise in Mabushi opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu way, we discovered an illegal refining site where oil and diesel are being adulterated, we have done the needful by moving the items to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 

“From what we have seen so far, about three or four pilot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to unapproved activities, which we believe the owners are fully aware, there will be consequences.

 

“We are going to look at the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration”

 

He said the administration will continue to go tough on activities being carried out without government approval,  especially revocation of the titles.

 

Collaborating, Head, operations FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Deborah Osho said the city management team during the exercise also discovered that most of the areas in the Nation’s capital have been converted to illegal car mart and motor parks.

 

She disclosed that fifteen vehicles have so far been impounded since the operation commenced about two days.

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Central Bank To Freeze Accounts Without BVN, NIN From April 2024

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Friday that it will freeze accounts without a Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identification Number (NIN) from April 2024.

This is according to a Friday circular by the apex bank which said a BVN or NIN verification will be “conducted shortly”.

It also said all BVN or NIN attached to accounts/wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024, according to the circular by the CBN Director of Payments System Management Department Chibuzo Efobi, and the Director of Financial Policy and Regulation Department Haruna Mustapha.

More details later….

 

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Adebayo Alli: Guinness Nigeria gets new Managing Director, Its first Nigerian CEO since 2015 …..

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Guinness Nigeria has announced the appointment of Mr Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director, its first Nigerian MD since 2015.

The appointment comes after John Musunga, the now erstwhile MD of Guinness Nigeria moved to become Diageo Africa’s Managing Director for Southern, West, and Central Africa.

The announcement was given after the company’s board meeting held on Monday, November 27, 2023.

According to the corporate filing on NGX’s website signed by the Company Secretary, Abidemi Ademola, Adebayo Alli would resume his new role within the company on January 1, 2024.

Profile of Adebayo Alli …..

Adebayo Alli, a mechanical engineer by training, holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MSc in Advanced Process Engineering from Loughborough University, UK.

He joined Diageo, owner of Guinness Nigeria in 2005 as a Packaging Operations Support Manager. Since then, he has gone on to work as project lead for a business transformation project in Meta Abo Brewery Limited, Ethiopia, another of Diageo Africa’s businesses. In 2014, he became a plant manager at the Meta Abo Brewery, and in 2015, Supply Chain Director.

Upon his return to Nigeria in 2017, he assumed the role of Operations Director at Guinness Nigeria before shifting his focus towards general management, venturing into multiple senior commercial sales positions within Guinness Nigeria PLC.

His trajectory saw a brief tenure between 2019 and 2020 as the Director for IPS, Reserve & Modern Trade. Subsequently, in 2020, Bayo ascended to the role of Commercial Director at Guinness Nigeria.

What you should know….

Guinness Nigeria’s last Nigerian MD was Seni Adetu who served between 2012 and 2015. Since him, John O’Kefee an Irish man became the MD, followed by Peter Ndegwa, a Kenyan, Baker Magunda, another Kenyan, then John Musunga, also another Kenyan.

Guinness Nigeria Plc is majorly owned by Diageo Plc with a 58% stake. In the past, Diageo’s only footprint in Nigeria was through Guinness Nigeria and the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria also doubled as the head of the Diageo brand in the country.

However, after Diageo announced a discontinuation of its import deal with Guinness Nigeria, which meant Guinness Nigeria would no longer import Johnnie Walker and Baileys into Nigeria, it was also announced that Diageo was creating a new “wholly owned spirits-focused business” to manage the importation and distribution of those premium spirits brand in West and Central Africa. Presumably, John Musunga is resuming to head this new business.

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