Lagos, Nigeria 28.01.2019 – Sèmè City, the International Knowledge and Innovation City, has partnered with theTony Elumelu Foundation
(TEF), the leading philanthropic organization empowering African
entrepreneurs to train and empower additional 50 Beninese
entrepreneurs. Sèmè City will join a growing list of governments,
development agencies and private sector organisations partnering with
the Tony Elumelu Foundation
to explore the Foundation’s sustainable model of philanthropy geared at
addressing the root cause of poverty in Africa while creating jobs and
economic wealth for all.
As
part of the partnership with the Foundation, Sèmè City will invest
$250,000 for the sponsorship of 50 additional Beninese entrepreneurs
with innovative projects across various sectors ranging from tourism to
health, energy, ICT, environment, fashion, media, entertainment and
agriculture. This partnership aims to provide beneficiaries with the
necessary skills to develop high-impact ventures as well as encourage
female entrepreneurship.
The
50 beneficiaries will be
selected in addition to the 1,000 African
entrepreneurs selected during the 5th edition of the Foundation’s
flagship Entrepreneurship Program. The beneficiaries will benefit from
the training and mentorship programme offered by the Foundation, at the
end of which they will receive $ 5,000 each to develop their businesses
which will, in turn, contribute to the creation of jobs and wealth in
Africa.
Speaking about the partnership, the incoming CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation,
Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu said: “We have always advocated for a collaboration
between the public and private sector and this partnership exemplifies
our conviction that working together to empower African entrepreneurs is
the only way to create sustainable economic development on the
continent”.
The
Managing Director, Sèmè City Development Agency, Claude Borna, said:
“Sèmè City supports innovative entrepreneurship so that it becomes a key
growth factor to boost productivity, create jobs and help improve the
quality of life in Benin. With its unique large-scale programme that
promotes “Africapitalism”, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is a partner of choice to accomplish our mission of developing a vibrant knowledge-based economy in Benin”.
Other partners of the Tony Elumelu Foundation
who have committed to empowering additional entrepreneurs include
Indorama, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the programme on www.tefconnect.com.
ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION
 |
| www.tefconnect.com |
Established in 2010, the Tony Elumelu Foundation
(TEF) is the leading philanthropy in Africa championing
entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs across the continent. The
Foundation’s long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is
emblematic of Tony Elumelu’s
philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa’s private sector,
and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and
economic development of the continent. The Foundation’s flagship
initiative, theTony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship
Programme, is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train,
mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs, capable of changing the face of
business across Africa.
ABOUT SÈMÈ CITY
Sèmè
City, the International Knowledge and Innovation City, brings together
higher education and professional training institutions, research
centers, incubators, as well as open innovation spaces. This
one-of-a-kind innovation campus is planned over 200 hectares in
Sèmè-Kpodji, a peri-urban area of the Republic of Benin, located 5 km
from the Nigerian border. Sèmè City’s mission is simple: put knowledge,
innovation, and entrepreneurship at the service of inclusive and
sustainable development. The objective is to create 190 000 new jobs by
2030 including at least 40% by women and 30% self-employed.
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