Elumelu unveils 2026 cohort of entrepreneurship programme on birthday

Billionaire philanthropist and Heirs Holdings Chairman, Tony Elumelu, on Sunday marked his birthday by saying the twelfth cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, which helps 1000’s of younger African founders.

In a submit shared on Sunday by way of his X deal with, Elumelu mirrored on his private journey and the philosophy behind the initiative.

He wrote, “For a very long time, I believed luck was one thing that simply occurs to you.

“Then I realised, luck will be engineered. Alternative will be democratised. Hope is not only a sense; it’s a system we will construct.

“That perception is why, right this moment on my birthday, my spouse and I’ll unveil the 2026 cohort of @TonyElumeluFDN entrepreneurs.”

Elumelu emphasised the significance of resilience and willpower, stating that the chosen entrepreneurs had been chosen not for having simple paths, however for his or her persistence.

“To our new Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs: that is your second. We didn’t select you as a result of your path was simple. We selected you since you stored going when it wasn’t,” he stated.

He added that Africa’s best useful resource has at all times been its individuals, not its oil or gold, and inspired the brand new cohort to work in the direction of remodeling the continent.

“In a world filled with uncertainty, I’ve chosen intentionally, each single yr, to plant certainty within the lives of younger African entrepreneurs. Now, let’s rework our continent collectively,” Elumelu concluded.

PidomNigeria On-line had reported that Elumelu and his spouse, Awele Elumelu, co-founder of the Foundation, formally unveiled the brand new cohort on Sunday.

This yr’s consumption expands to three,200 entrepreneurs throughout all 54 African international locations by means of the core programme and strategic partnerships.

Chosen from over 265,000 functions, the entrepreneurs will obtain non-refundable seed grants of $5,000 every (totaling $16 million in direct funding), together with complete enterprise coaching, mentorship, and entry to TEF’s pan-African community.

The 2026 cohort announcement comes after functions closed on March 1, following an open name that ran from January 1.