The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Tony Elumelu Foundation

  • Embrace entrepreneurship, Elumelu urges students

    Chairman of Heirs Holdings Limited and founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu, has charged students to embrace entrepreneurship to become self-reliant after their studies. Engaging in free enterprise, he said, would make graduates escape the pain of unemployment.

    Elumelu spoke at the National Dialogue Series held penultimate Saturday by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).

    He described entrepreneurship as the engine room of the 21st century global economy, pointing out that entrepreneurs had helped many countries achieving prosperities through the power of their ideas and innovations. He said his foundation had committed resources to empowering start-ups in businesses and technology to drive their innovation.

    He said: “Of all the offices I have held, the one that gladdens my heart most is the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which is committed to empowering young Africans using their innovative to change the story of the continent. We have committed resources to empower these start-ups as our contribution towards the development of our continent. This is borne out of my deep-rooted belief that entrepreneurship is the single most critical ingredient for economic empowerment and job creation.”

    Elumelu praised the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, for supporting the event, which, he said, could change the lives of the participant positively. He also praised a former student of the school, Dr Shadi Sabeh, at whose instance the event was organised.

    He said: “Dr Shadi Sabeh’s role in organising this event is commendable. He is an entrepreneur and alumnus of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), who is also a winner of the Tony and Awele Elumelu prize for academic excellence. Shadi is a fine example of the great force and impact our young ones can achieve if we support and empower them.”

    Chairman of the event, Alhaji Muhammad Zangaria, praised Elumelu for the impact his foundation had been making in Africa, adding that education and business empowerment was the best legacy to bequeath for the youth.

    Prof Zuru described Elumelu as “African icon”, praising him for nurturing students and young people in business across the continent. The VC made a request of partnership with the TEF in building a School of Business to promote entrepreneurship in the North.

    The SUG president, Idris Mubarak Maibasira, hailed the management for supporting the union’s initiative. He said Elumelu’s presence at the event would continue to inspire UDUS students to innovate and create businesses.

  • Elumelu urges Nigerian students to embrace entrepreneurship

    Elumelu urges Nigerian students to embrace entrepreneurship

    Dr Tony Elumelu, Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA), urged Nigerian students to embrace entrepreneurship in order to overcome the problem of unemployment.

    Elumelu, founder of the Dr. Tony Elumelu Foundation made the call in Sokoto where he addressed students at the National Dialogue Series organized by the Students’ Union, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

    The Dialogue Series was organised in collaboration with the management of the institution.

    Himself, Tony, a successful entrepreneur, acknowledged with gratitude while expressing happiness for the opportunity accorded him to speak directly to the youths.

    According to him” I applaud this kind of initiative that brings today’s leaders and the people to whom the future truly belongs to interact and share perspectives.

    “ The Tony Elumelu Foundation is committed to empowering young African men and women as my contribution towards the development of our continent.

    ” This is borne out of my deep-rooted belief that entrepreneurship is the single most critical
    ingredient for economic empowerment and jobs creation.”

    Elumelu further commended the efforts of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru and the University’s management for instituting the National Dialogue Series.

    In the same vein, he lauded the efforts of an alumnus of the University Dr. Shadi Sabeh, for his
    efforts and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, respectively in seeing that the National Dialogue Series sees the light of the day while describing Shadi as,” a fine example of the great force and impact our young ones can achieve if we support and empower them.”

    However, the successful entrepreneur also called on the students to be proud of the University which had produced many great men like Shadi, and Sokoto State Governor, Barrister Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, whom he described as,” a digital governor.” adding that,” the Usmanu Danfodiyo University has such rich legacy, an impeccable pedigree, and an outstanding academic track record that distinguishes it as one of Nigeria’s finest institutions.

    “If you are a student of this great university, you have every reason to be proud, and if you are an alumnus, you equally have every reason to be proud.”

    In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Muhammad Zangaria, acknowledged the great impact the guest speaker has been making in seeing that the African Continent joins the league of developed nations.

    Also speaking, Vice-chancellor of the University, Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, lauded the UBA
    Chairman for the intellectual nurturing of students of the institution noting that Elumelu remains an icon of great recognition
    in the continent and globe at large.

    Zuru further advocated the establishment of the Tony Elumelu Business School in the University, in partnership with Elumelu while disclosing that the proposed School would be training budding Entrepreneurs in the country, to further tame poverty, unemployment and youths restiveness.

    Similarly, the Vice Chancellor opined that the proposed school would help in providing plausible solutions to the formidable socio-economic problems plaguing Nigeria.

    While commending the management of the institution, President of the Students Union, Comrade Idris Mubarak Maibasira said,” the unparalleled philanthropic movement of Elumelu had taken a myriad of Nigerians out of poverty and had equipped scores with entrepreneurial skills.

    He further enjoined the Sokoto State Government and Elumelu ‎ to assist in easing students accommodation problems on campuses while requesting the UBA Chairman to construct a pedestrian bridge at the “Kofar mata” route, to serve as part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility.“

  • Osinbajo to attend 2017 National Insurance Conference

    Osinbajo to attend 2017 National Insurance Conference

    Mr. Shola Tinubu, Chairman, Planning Committee, 2017 National Insurance Conference (NIC), said on Tuesday that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo would declare open the three-day conference to begin on July 9.

    Tinubu, who made this known at a press briefing in Lagos, said that the conference would hold at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

    He said the conference was aimed at removing all inhibitions against growing insurance business in Nigeria.

    “It is insurance practitioners and stakeholders’ pleasure to applaud the Federal Government for the all policy directions, especially against the backdrop of the nation’s recessive economy.

    “There was the dire need for a reversal of the economic trend, and the Federal Government through the promotion and exportation of local products and policies, is gradually leading the economy out of recession.

    “Also, worthy of commendation is the three years Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) from 2017-2020,” he said.

    Tinubu said the 2017 conference with the theme: “Nigeria Open for Business”, was apt in view of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business Initiatives (EDBI).

    He noted that the EDBI was spearheaded by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    Tinubu said that this year’s conference would be the third since the conception of the Insurance Industry Consultative Council (IICC) in 2015.

    He said the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kevin Adeosun, would be the Chairman of the technical session of the conference while the Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, would be the chief host.

    “Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Tony Elumelu Foundation, will be discussing the theme paper with the aim of making delegates to draw from the speaker’s enormous exposure and experience in the nation’s financial services sector.

    “Discussants include Dr. Joseph Nanna,  Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria;  and Alhaji Kyari Bukar, Executive Secretary of Nigeria Economic Summit Group,  among others,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IICC is the amalgamation of all the constituent arms of the insurance industry.

    It includes the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) and Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria (ILAN), while the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria serves as the coordinating arm.

  • Elumelu Foundation launches $100m scheme

    THE Tony Elumelu Foundation has launched a $100million Entrepreneurship Programme for Africa in Lagos.

    Speaking yesterday at a  briefing to announce the multi-million dollar scheme, its Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu, said the programme is unique because apart from offering access to cash, it will enable beneficiaries with good business ideas to enjoy mentorship and support to build bankable business plans.

    Elumelu, who described himself as an African made business mogul, said one of the reasons he made it in business was because he benefited from the mentorship of Chief Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo of the defunct All States Bank. He added that with the training he received from Banigo, he and his team were able to take over and revive a failing bank.

    He said the future belongs to entrepreneurs, who he said, would not need to look for jobs, but would rather create some. He said it was for this that entrepreneurs should be assisted to make it in business.