The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropic organization committed to empowering African entrepreneurs, has released its 2020 Annual Letter titled “THE POWER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMIDST UNCERTAINTY”. The report, which was delivered in the form of a personal letter from TEF Founder, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu CON, reiterates that equipping young people with the tools and the opportunities to succeed through entrepreneurship, is the only sustainable, dignified way to create a path to prosperity for all.
Launched across TEF’s digital platforms, the Annual Letter showcases remarkable achievements that include supporting a growing and dynamic entrepreneur ecosystem of 1 million Africans, expanding strategic partnerships to scale the existing TEF Entrepreneurship Programme to reach more small businesses across all 54 African countries, and other milestones by the Foundation to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and provide support for young entrepreneurs.
The 2020 Annual Letter begins with reflections from the Founder dating from the inception of the Foundation and its raison d’être, to the global pandemic, “In 2020, the world stopped, but we did not. When we launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2010, we did something new in Africa – we “democratised” luck. In my own entrepreneurial journey, I knew luck had played an important role, and I was determined that others, many others, would get those same chances. We created an institution with a single focus: young African entrepreneurs.”
Through its digital hub, www.tefconnect, the Tony Elumelu Foundation successfully supported millions of Africans, addressing the unique needs of an entrepreneurial community that continues to be challenged by the pandemic. “We curated world class training, offered expert-led masterclasses with institutions such as Yale University, and brought project management skills and mental health coping mechanism to African entrepreneurs, taking care of their mind and spirit, as we assisted them to restructure their business for the new normal.”
The Letter further narrates 2020 highlights including TEF’s €20 million partnership with the European Union and the Organisation of African and Caribbean States (OACPS) to support more than 2,500 women entrepreneurs: “The statistics on female entrepreneurship in Africa are chastening – women make up 58% of the continent’s self-employed population but earn 34% less profits on average. Our goal is for more women to participate in economic development, realise their full potential and accelerate economic inclusion.”
Other notable accomplishments include the TEF-UNDP Mali Entrepreneurship Programme rolled out in the middle of conflict, political instability and insecurity in the Sahel country: “Over 1.7 million people have been displaced by violence in Mali since 2012. Our Entrepreneurship Programme demonstrates that entrepreneurship is the singular most effective tool to creating jobs, opportunity, economic hope, stability, peace, sustained growth and poverty reduction.”
Now in its 7th year, the US$100 million TEF Entrepreneurship Programme has empowered over 9,000 young African entrepreneurs from 54 African countries with world-class business training, mentorship, non-refundable seed capital of $5,000 and global networking and market opportunities.
In 2021, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, will identify, train, mentor and fund over 3,500 entrepreneurs across Africa. The Programme remains open to all entrepreneurs across the African continent, both new start-ups and existing businesses operating in any sector. Applications end March 31. All aspiring beneficiaries are encouraged to immediately apply on www.tefconnect.com.
To read the full TEF 2020 Annual Letter click here.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
