The chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Mr. Tony Elumelu is billed to deliver a keynote address at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) which holds in Yokohama, Japan from August 28 – 30, 2019. Progenitor
Elumelu, proponent of Africaptalism will use the forum to promote this concept which is hinged on the belief that the African private sector has the power to transform the continent through long-term investments, creating both economic prosperity and social wealth.
He will also highlight the urgent need to empower young entrepreneurs and how critical it is for governments and other policy makers to create the enabling environment that ensures entrepreneurial led growth.
As the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa, Elumelu will ensure that the voice of a new generation of African entrepreneurs, capable of transforming the continent, is heard at the highest level.
The TEF founder will speak alongside global and African political and business leaders, including Prime Minister Shinzō Abe of Japan, presidents Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria), Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi (Egypt), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa) and Paul Kigame (Rwanda).
Elumelu will deliver a keynote speech at the Plenary Public-Private Business Dialogue which is the core session that brings together Japanese and African public and private sector leaders at TICAD7.
Following a welcome address by Abe, the UBA chairman will deliver the keynote address at the official Business Forum, hosted by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
At a time when international governments and agencies are increasingly recognising that the route to Africa’s transformation is through African-led solutions and private sector growth, Elumelu’s track record of success, founding UBA, now one of Africa’s leading financial services groups, with presence in 20 African countries, New York, Paris and London as well as his multi-sector proprietary investment holding company, Heirs Holdings, employing over 30,000 Africans, typifies a new generation of African business dynamism.
During the visit, Elumelu will join Kagame and co-chair of the Leaders’ Group of Generation Unlimited (Gen-U), and UNICEF executive director, Ms. Henrietta Fore, to co-chair a UNICEF (and Africa Union) breakfast meeting focused on catalysing investment in African youths and developing a specific vision for job creation in Africa.
The event will seek specific commitments from African leaders for the implementation of a business plan for digital connectivity in Africa such as TEF’s Connect, the largest digital network for African entrepreneurs.
Through the TEF, Elumelu is forging the new narrative for Africa.
In the first five years of the foundation’s flagship Entrepreneurship Programme, 7,521 African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries have benefitted from Elumelu’s personal commitment of $100 million seed capital funding, mentorship, and training.
Six of the beneficiaries of the programme have been sponsored to attend TICAD7 conference, sponsored by the UNDP.
Elumelu will be accompanied on the trip by a delegation from UBA and TEF, including the chief executive officer of TEF, Ms. Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, UBA’s group head, marketing, Ms. Dupe Olusola and her group head in charge of corporate banking counterpart, Mr. Muyiwa Akinyemi.
Organised by the Japanese government, TICAD7 is a three- yearly forum for advancing Africa’s development through people, technology and innovation, bringing together government, business leaders, companies and other stakeholders.
It provides a unique platform for key decision makers from Japan and Africa, both in business and politics, to identify opportunities for investment and knowledge exchange.
