Original Story Published by: Burundi Press Agency for Region Week
Photo Source: ©Region Week
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the most important African philanthropy committed to the empowerment of African entrepreneurs, has announced on Friday, March 22, 2019, that 3,050 African entrepreneurs from 54 countries were selected as part of the fifth round of its US $ 100 million entrepreneurship program.
The announcement was made at the Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, following a presentation of the selection process by Accenture Development Partners.
Indeed, this year, more than 216,000 applications have been received, a clear increase compared to 151,000 last year (2018).
‘Gender balance respected’.
Nearly 90,000 of them were submitted by women entrepreneurs, an increase of 45%, which reflects the Foundation’s strategy to achieve greater gender balance.
The selected entrepreneurs will each receive a non-repayable start-up capital of $ 5,000, access to mentors and a 12-week business training program, directly focused on the needs of African entrepreneurs.
These entrepreneurs will meet in Abuja on July 26th and 27th, 2019 at the TEF Entrepreneurship Forum, the largest annual gathering of African entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurship ecosystem on the continent.
“Every year, we face an almost impossible task: to select 1,000 entrepreneurs, among hundreds of thousands who apply. Our entrepreneurs are hungry for change. We know that we are only scratching the surface, given the depth of entrepreneurial talent that all of us, African governments, business, and society, must mobilize to transform our economies and livelihoods. We must unite to empower them and accelerate the change we want on the continent, “said TEF promoter Tony O. Elumelu, who celebrated his birthday on the same day.
To read the full article, visit Region Week.
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