Entrepreneurs hold key to unlocking Africa’s untapped potentials —Elumelu

• Spent $100m in 15years empowering youth

Africa’s growth potential lies in the development of entrepreneurial ingenuity of Africans which will in no small measure propel the continent’s economic growth to higher pedestals.

And to ensure that makes the very best of its teeming population of youths, founder of Africapitalism, Tony Elumelu has expended $100 million empowering youth across the continent.

This was disclosed by Tony Elumelu, founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Chairman, Heirs Holdings Group, UBA Group and Transcorp Group, in his Keynote Remarks titled, ‘Democratising Luck” delivered at the Legacy Builders Palm Beach Conference, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

He said that entrepreneurship is not only about his life journey, but also, the mission that has come to define his life, driving his focus in uplifting the lives of many youth in Africa, even as he called for the creation of just system in the continent where growth potentials are not paralysed by debilitating policies.

He said “As a firm believer in the power of collaboration, I know that gatherings like this bring together likeminded individuals, who are committing their resources in advancing the cause of humanity. This informed his foundation’s impact on 2.5 million African youths’ access to training on TELConnect. “Today, we have granted 2.5 million Africans with access to training on TEFConnect, our online portal, and lifted over 2 million individuals out of poverty”.

Going by the theme of his experience sharing, Elumelu said that “Democratising luck is not just about finance—it is about knowledge-sharing, about mentorship, about building networks that support and uplift”.

He added “We must create a continent where young entrepreneurs are not paralysed by systemic barriers, but propelled forward by opportunity. We will bring back hope. To those who have achieved success, I say this: We must do more. Become a mentor, an investor, a champion for those who only need a chance”.

He hinted that it will not rise by chance but by deliberate effort of Africans to enhance human capital development and ingeniously empower many. “Africa will not rise by chance—it will rise because of deliberate action, because of people who refuse to accept the status quo and choose instead to create the future we deserve. I am not interested in looking backwards – I don’t look at historic causes of our problems – but at the current solutions”