By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No fewer than 1,300 African entrepreneurs, business leaders and policymakers from 54 countries would be hosted on Friday, October 13, 2017, in Lagos by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropy.
The foundation is holding its 3rd Annual TEF Entrepreneurship Forum and it would be single largest gathering of entrepreneurs in Africa.
Addressing journalists at the weekend in Lagos, chief executive of TEF, Mrs Parminder Obe, noted that the 2017 invitation had been extended beyond the usual 1,000 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs to include selected SMEs, media, hubs, incubators, academia, and investors from across Africa.
According to Mrs Obe, “Assembled SMEs will build networks, share knowledge, connect with investors and link with corporate supply chains.
“Since launching the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme and committing $100 million to empowering 10,000 African entrepreneurs in a decade, we have unleashed our continent’s most potent development force, its entrepreneurs.
“In just three years, our first 3,000 entrepreneurs have created tens of thousands of jobs and generated considerable wealth.
“On October 13 and 14, the global entrepreneurship community will gather in Lagos to build a New Africa, a thriving, self-reliant continent capable of replicating the results of our ground-breaking programme.
“The two-day forum will feature plenary panels, master classes, sector-specific networking opportunities and policy-led forums focused on enabling African business growth.
“This is the first year we have opened the forum up to include the full pan-African entrepreneurship ecosystem.
“In doing so, we are enabling African SME communities to come together and expand the possibilities for intra-African partnerships.
“I am looking forward to welcoming our invited policy-makers and investors to join us at the forum, as we empower the next generation of African business leaders.”
Chief Operating Officer of TEF, Mrs Owen Omogiafo, also said at the briefing that speakers at the forum would include Wale Ayeni of International Finance Corporation, Stephen Kauma, Afrexim Bank and Andre Hue, African Development Bank.
Others are Stephen M. Haykin, USAID Nigeria, Heikke Reugger, European Investment Bank and Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, United Nations Development Programme.
