…To focus on Africapitalism, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment
Tony Elumelu, Group chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), will on Monday embark on a three-country trips that would take him to the United Arab Emirate (UAE), United Kingdom (UK) and Italy. He will be preaching Africapitalism, Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment in those countries.
In a statement to announce the trips, Elumelu said that partnerships that facilitate shared prosperity and deliver equitable outcomes would be the message that he would take with him as he travels to the Middle East and Europe, and join other business leaders and philanthropists.
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“Africa’s transformation will only be achieved by us, Africans,” he said.
Elumelu, however, said: “I believe in partnership, in all aspects of life. To unlock Africa’s potential and create a future of inclusive growth, sustainable development, and mutual prosperity, we must forge partnerships and create platforms for all voices to be heard and to catalyse the change we want to see.
“Gone are the days when Africans were written out of the narrative, unheard, ignored, an afterthought. African stakeholders must take centre-stage and act now to define our present and lay the pathway for an impactful future.”
He further said that the role of entrepreneurship and job creation in fostering global food security cannot be over-emphasised.
He also noted the economic empowerment of Africa’s youth to address migration challenges and create meaningful employment is important.
The serial entrepreneur called for private-public partnerships to democratise access to healthcare and foster innovation to improve the quality of life globally.
He said that central to his activities would be the presentation of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Coalition for African Entrepreneurs – his ambition to build on TEF’s success and substantially scale, to boost job creation, and provide hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities for Africa’s youth, across our continent.
According to him, “On Monday, May 13 there would be a panel session at the Health Leaders Forum in Abu Dhabi.”
At the invitation of Badr Jafar, Elumelu will participate in a high-level panel session at the Health Leaders Forum, an invitation-only, agenda-setting opener for the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week. Other speakers on the panel include: transformation will only be achieved by us, Africans.
Elumelu hinted that to unlock Africa’s potential and create a future of inclusive growth, sustainable development, and mutual prosperity, there must partnerships and creation of platforms for all voices to be heard and to catalyse the change.
“Gone are the days when Africans were written out of the narrative, unheard, ignored, an afterthought. African stakeholders must take centre-stage and act now to define our present and lay the pathway for an impactful future,” he said.
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Speakers at the panel session include Monica Geingos, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Special Advocate on Young Women and Adolescent Girls in Namibia; Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, director of the Presidential Court Office of International Affairs and CEO, 2PointZero, UAE; and Jafar, CEO, Crescent Enterprises.
“The Forum convenes global Ministers of Health, policymakers, and Chief Executives of global entities, playing an influential role in transforming the future of healthcare.
“Married to a doctor, and with Avon Healthcare in our portfolio, and TEF beneficiaries in the healthcare sector, I will speak from experience and with authority on Africa’s opportunities and needs in the healthcare space,” he said.
Tagged ‘Reimagining Health and Life: Partnering to Invest in Humanity,’ the panel will highlight the role of public-private partnerships, health equity, ethics, technology, and innovation, in tackling the multifaceted challenges of global health and healthcare’s most pressing concerns.
Following the Forum, Elumelu will co-host a private lunch with Badr Jafar, at a gathering of senior government officials, business leaders, and philanthropic champions, all united in the commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East.
TEF beneficiaries will showcase the catalytic change TEF has brought to their businesses and lives.
On Wednesday, May 15, Elumelu will host Cindy McCain, ED, World Food Programme in London.
From Abu Dhabi, he will travel to London, where he will host the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, as well as other policymakers and leaders, to a private reception jointly organised by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The Tony Elumelu Foundation and the World Food Programme share a similar vision to address the global humanitarian and migration crisis.
Elumelu said it will be an opportunity to not only showcase the work of both organisations, but explore innovative areas of partnerships to foster economic growth and stability through youth entrepreneurship.
He stressed that TEF has an innovative track record of working with development finance institutions, such as UNDP and the ICRC, to go beyond relief, and plant seeds of economic stability and opportunity.
He said it will also serve as a chance to listen firsthand to young African entrepreneurs and trailblazing TEF beneficiaries, who are creating jobs and opportunities in their communities, providing families with decent living, and strengthening the African economy.
“My message is clear: the key to addressing the global migration crisis lies with our young men and women – they have the ideas, the passion, the drive, and the energy to facilitate Africa’s transformation,” Elumelu added.
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On Friday, May 17, there would be a B7 roundtable discussion in Rome.
Concluding his trip, the entrepreneur will join a roundtable discussion themed “Powering the Energy Transition for the Benefit of All”, at the B7 Summit in Rome, where him and his co-panelists will propose recommendations and priorities for catalysing energy transition that is equitable for all.
The B7 is the official business engagement group for the G7, a political and economic forum of seven advanced economies including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States.
Representing the voice of the African continent on this panel, Eluco-panelists include Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO Terna; Chrissy Taylor, CEO, Enterprise Mobility and Bernard Mensah, President, Bank of America, International
During the session, Elumelu said he will spotlight Africa’s role in the energy transition.
“Although Africa consumes the least amount of energy, the continent bears the brunt of the effects of global climate change; an emergency that could become a global crisis in the near-future.
“I will address the urgency to tackle this looming challenge and provide platforms for dialogue and action to bring all stakeholders to the decision-making table,” he added.
