TEF Partners Two UAE Bodies To Empower 1000 Young African Entrepreneurs

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy empowering young African en­trepreneurs, from all 54 African countries, on Wednesday, signed a USD$6 million strategic part­nership agreement with the UAE Office of Development Affairs and Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (an affiliate of Erth Zayed) to provide business train­ing, mentorship, access to net­works, and non-refundable $5,000 seed capital, to an additional 1,000 young African entrepreneurs.

The agreement signed at the World Governments Summit by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, and the Director General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, His Excellency Mo­hamed Haji Al Khoori, evidences both organisations shared com­mitment to fostering economic empowerment and entrepreneur­ship across Africa.

Through this partnership, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation will leverage the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s expertise and execution ability in catalys­ing entrepreneurship through the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, which has pioneered business management training, mentorship, and capital funding for African entrepreneurs.

The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Na­hyan Foundation, a distinguished philanthropic organisation, af­filiated with Erth Zayed, has a long-standing commitment to hu­manitarian and developmental projects, focusing on education, healthcare, economic empower­ment, and enterprise development.

“Empowering entrepreneurs is not just a moral imperative, but also a strategic investment in Afri­ca’s future. By providing the neces­sary access to capital, mentorship, and resources, we are unlocking the potential of Africa’s entrepre­neurial talent, eradicating poverty, driving self-reliance, and paving the way for inclusive growth and prosperity on the continent.

This partnership between the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation not only reflects our shared vision of empowering Af­rica’s next generation of business leaders, but will also create a ripple effect of economic transformation across the continent”, Tony Elume­lu stated.

His Excellency Mohamed Haji Al Khoori added, “Erth Zayed’s mission is to foster impactful partnerships that drive human­itarian and developmental prog­ress. Supporting young African entrepreneurs aligns with our goal of strengthening economies and building sustainable businesses that uplift communities.”

Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Tony Elumelu Foun­dation has provided up to 2.5 mil­lion young Africans with access to training on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over US$100 million in direct funding to more than 21,000 African wom­en and men, who have collectively created over 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

Through its initiatives, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has brought 2 million Africans out of poverty. In addition to its self-fund­ed programmes, TEF works with international partners including the EU, the UNDP, the ICRC and the Ikea Foundation.

The partnership with the Khal­ifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Founda­tion, is the first with a Gulf based philanthropy and represents a further example of the strong in­vestment, diplomatic and cultural ties between the GCC and Africa.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is currently accepting applications from young entrepreneurs across Africa with innovative business ideas or existing businesses not older than five years on TEFCon­nect. African entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply to initiatives to receive training, mentorship, access to networks, and funding. Application deadline is March 1, 2025.