“America is back.” This was the opening statement of Donald Trump at his joint address to Congress a few days ago, which was greeted with loud applause by the Republicans. Many experts have cautioned that the Trump 2.0 would be the exact same pattern that defined his first. Following his historic return to the White House, I also shared this sentiment and speculated it in my piece titled, ‘Trump’s second coming: Is ‘Africa first’ agenda ever possible?’ which was published in TheCable on November 24, 2025. I had argued that to make any meaningful impression in the international system, the ‘Africa first’ agenda must be a top priority for our leaders. In the same vein, I emphasised that under Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, the world would witness, like with his first, promotion of ‘Americanism’ over ‘Globalism’. This is precisely what is playing out.

However, nothing prepared me and perhaps a flood of political and economic doyens for the harsh reality of the audacious and bullish fashion in which Trump carries on with his policy implementation not minding the effects on the world stage – he is far more aggressive in the pursuit of his agenda now than in his first term.

Trump’s reforms and executive orders which have painted him an outlier, particularly those targeting the USAID and his use of tariffs as an economic weapon, have engulfed the whole world like a violent storm. The Left, the mainstream media and a number of US allies have accused Trump of implementing these reforms in a horrific manner – protests seem to be gaining momentum and at the core is his slash of the USAID projects by a whopping 83 percent. While several ‘Trumpers’ and some independents believe they are a welcome development after years of bureaucratic bottleneck accompanied by waste and abuses which have spiked the US public debt profile to a massive 36 trillion dollars, many have kicked against him.

To the opposers, it’s a hideous and savage attack on the constitutionality of the republic and liberty of the people – a feeling of being thrown under the bus. Interestingly, in all of these, a handful believe Trump should be allowed to stew in his own juice while also accusing him of igniting a constitutional crisis with this economic agenda. Although, the manner in which he is going about it may be uncomplimentary to many – and I must say it is, the unknotting, streamlining and purging he has embarked upon should come as no surprise because he ran and campaigned vigorously on them.

The entire globe has been inundated with what appears to be the basic thrust of Trump’s economic policy – the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)! A deluge of transactions has been described by Trump’s DOGE to amount to frauds at a level never seen before. The Democrats and many in the media are still doubting the veracity of these claims which DOGE wants the world to know runs into several hundreds of billions of dollars. Understandably, many would be sceptical of these gigantic findings until those culprits claimed to have benefitted from them are brought to book and successfully persecuted.

To the opposition, Trump must be stopped, and very fast too, otherwise, all Americans would be DOGEd before anyone knows it and that can’t be allowed to happen. One thing is very clear however, if all these DOGE discoveries are proven to be true, it can be inferred that the US isn’t immune to deep-seated corruption as they may want others to believe and therefore would have no moral justification to condemn countries especially those the developed nations refer to as third-world about the frightening state corruption in these countries has assumed.

Talking about the startling dimension of the insanely corruptive activities in many developing countries, especially the continent of Africa, the media was agog with so many news and buzzing headlines raging all over the place where a number of African leaders were reported to be whining – needlessly though, the halt imposed on most of the largesse received from the US government by the Trump administration, notably via the platform of USAID. This obviously have been far too long enshrined into the ‘blood and skin’ of these African nations. It is an act of cruelty and a blatant egregious violation of the oaths sworn to the people, how African leaders have impoverished their people even though many are sitting on such vast natural resources.

Research has it that Africa holds a hefty proportion (estimated to be about 60 percent) of the world’s natural resources: Arable land, 65 percent; Mineral reserves, 30 percent; Oil reserves, 12 percent; Gold reserves, 40 percent; Chromium and Platinum, 90 percent; huge reserves of Cobalt, Diamonds, Uranium, etc. The African continent isn’t poor. It is extremely wealthy. Infact, richer than one or two other continents. It is awash with a preponderance of resources – natural, capital and human resources. Regrettably, it is the people – ordinary and struggling Africans living in the continent that are stupendously poor. The case of the vulnerable Africans can be aptly summed up in the Yoruba saying, “Omo eleran ton jegun eran” – meaning the child of a meat seller who eats bones instead of meat. A very sad tale which has continuously been the lot of so many people in this part of the world.

This was underscored by Michael John Parenti, the American Political Science scholar who cannot be truer when he remarked, “Third-world is not poor. You don’t go to poor countries to make money. There are very few poor countries in this world. Most countries are rich, the Philippines is rich, Brazil is rich, Mexico is rich, and Chile is rich. Only the people are poor. But there are billions to be made there, to be carved out and to be taken.

There have been billions for 400 years! The capitalist, European and North American powers have carved out and taken the timber, the flax, the hemp, the cocoa, the rum, the tin, the copper, the iron, the rubber, the bauxite, the slaves, and the cheap labour. They have taken out of these countries. These countries are not underdeveloped, they’re overexploited!” This is the ugly state of things in Africa due to leadership deficit and corruption which have bedevilled the continent for many years.

Governance is typically shrouded in some sort of secrecy. Transparency and accountability are extremely scarce. And as Africans, we ain’t asking our governments to be perfect – none can ever be, anyway, just be transparent with us. Don’t be afraid to make genuine mistakes. Admit when you do and learn therefrom. Nevertheless, as Africans from all walks of life, far from it that we will look down on ourselves and continue to view our situation through the prism of poverty, created and sustained by the same set of people who pledged their allegiance to the constitutions of the individual nation-states to protect the people and utilise the common patrimony and resources to better their lot.

Instead, they have allowed unfettered access to our commonwealth in what media reports have shown to be orchestrated by a high-level conspiratorial and syndicated alliance, coordinated by the locals in cahoots with foreign entities. It is easy to whine and disparage the actions of another country, whose leader as far as he’s concerned is simply just making his country great again, because you have refused to put your own house in order. Our leaders know full well that the ‘carting away’ of our natural wealth only means that our jobs are offshored to other continents instead of onshoring them to improve the living conditions of the people.

Speaking during the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit 2025, the former Kenyan President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, warned African leaders against what he described as the “excessive dependence on foreign aid” after Trump paused federal aid globally. He was quoted to have said, “Excessive reliance often hinders a country’s long-term economic progress”. Furthermore, he said, “I saw some people the other day crying that Trump has removed funding. It is not your government, nor your country, why are you crying? He has no reason to give you anything, you don’t pay taxes in America.

This is a wake-up call for you to know what you’ll do to support yourselves. Let’s work together to bring an end to that. We need to remember the resources wasted when we kill each other. When we remember the lives lost in Sudan, all the way to the Sahel region, we’ve spent more money buying bullets than protecting our health”. Kenyatta concluded, “As Africans, we should not wait for others to come to our rescue”. This is the kind of attitude many expect our leaders to have. The type of attitude that gingers sublime economic policies, democratisation and humanitarism. If this had been their disposition decades ago and had been pursued vigorously, we certainly won‎’t find ourselves in this dead economic woods and quagmire that we are in.

Unfortunately, there are two things constant with virtually all the African states – leadership deficit and corruption, a recurring decimal threatening the sovereignty of many. So many of our leaders have been breaking several socioeconomic and development rules indubitably. The bane in this continent is that our leaders have refused to uphold the dignity of the rules designed to guarantee economic sovereignty needed to terminate the widespread poverty and hunger that are ravaging many – quite unsettling! They are quick to adopt these non-stop, never-ending loop of political platitudes and sloganeering, which change nothing but instead push the continent into deeper dark economic holes. The reliance on aid, grants and loans from abroad by most African countries even for the simplest of things that can be fixed domestically, seems like a bond that’s unbroken.

This however hasn’t gone without dissent from many well-meaning Africans who have issued veiled criticisms of our leaders and struggle to process the reason for their pandering. It doesn’t just sound right that we have to depend on external forces to solve issues we could have effortlessly handled had a conducive socio-economic environment been created by these leaders. Many of our leaders pivot when asked why they pander after the West and East but are quick to mention how they plan to bolster their countries’ economic positions via means unclear to many. Clearly, such rhetoric is simply political gibberish – mere talk which is cheap as there’s nothing on the ground to suggest the narrative would change. Our leaders must therefore take the hard choices and lead with an economic message in order to chart a path forward to prosperity and economic boom. Way too many rules – governance, economic, development, social infrastructure, leadership, security, etc, are being broken time and again and this has loomed so large on the continent’s development.

The scourge of insecurity, which has huge implications for investments and economic growth, is ravaging many parts of the continent, domestic production is next to nothing with the bulk of our natural resources shipped abroad in their natural state, and numerous governments ramping up debts due to needless spending, waste, frauds and abuses which seem to be the order of the day because revenue drive is literally non-existent. All these have distasteful consequences and one of the reasons the citizens are impoverished. It is as if our leaders are toying with our lives – like a cat would normally do with a mouse.

Many of our leaders have flubbed real bad and the economic nightmare in Africa is real. It is so because our leaders have allowed it and they must face the truth that the conditions are damning and cease gaslighting the citizens. The type of leadership evident in the countries they pander to for grants and aid, which has enabled those countries to build robust and strong economies, the likes of which is enabling them to give us ‘free monies’, is obviously lacking here. You can just imagine, with the abundance of resources prevalent here, the kind of transformation that would happen in the entire continent should they replicate the kind of leadership seen in these developed countries.

There are numerous accounts to suggest that there’s palpable fear. Scores of concerned Africans are growing increasingly worried regarding the approach of Trump over the next four years and its implications on the continent. The messaging of Trump has been unambiguous and crystal clear – he is pro-business and as such, whether fairly or unfairly, treats every relationship – diplomatic, personal, etc, as a transaction. Many could hardly wait – a weary and anxious wait, for what to expect in his second term. The last few weeks have marked remarkable skirmishes in trade wars between the US and several other countries – many of which are facing the brunt of Trump’s economic ire.

For some experts, if Trump could slam tariffs on some of America’s long-term trade allies, and foes alike, was undeterred and didn’t bat an eyelid even when the global community and the media vehemently kicked against it, it raises intriguing questions as to the possibility of unleashing this same type of treatment should he have the slightest reason to do so and take on Africa, whose economy is currently seriously wobbling. The consequences would be unfathomable and a massive grinder to the national treasuries of countless countries, which could set the continent behind by a long stretch.

Like in the game of football, yellow cards are issued by a referee for unruly behaviours or fouls committed by players. You get one once you break a rule – serves as a warning and such a player must be on the edge for the remainder of his/her time on the pitch. What the yellow card does to such a player is, as we describe in local parlance, ‘Borrow am sense’ – meaning to inject some common sense into the player, otherwise a second yellow card attracts a red card which is game over for the player. I will therefore liken the economic agenda of the Trump second presidency to issuing a ‘yellow card’ to the continent of Africa and its erring leaders to stop relying on others to do their jobs for them. They’ve got to stop breaking the golden rules designed to stimulate and build very strong economies. It is a clarion call and a dire warning to all our political leaders, who have obligations to the people, to brace up via bipartisan alliances, take urgent steps to industrialise and juice up the SMEs and manufacturing sector, and fix the systemic rots which have practically reduced us into mere beggars when we have all it takes to be self-sufficient. Else a ‘red card’ is in the offing in no distant future which may lead to the eruption of an economic reckoning.

How long shall African nations continue to be runts amongst the pack when we have what it takes – a humongous amount of natural resources, to project economic power as a continent? Our continent, painfully, seemed to be the worst of the worst in terms of socioeconomic development and the profligacy of governments. We are at a crossroads and desperate straits in the history of this continent and this should not be the time for the key economic players to be competing and comparing ‘economic megaphones’. It is certainly not how big the economic megaphone is, rather, it is the results you derive from what’s said into it.

In conclusion, the classic case of Trump threatening some days ago, to slap 25 percent tariffs on any country that patronises Venezuelan Oil – the country’s mainstay, because of his accusation that Venezuela is unleashing terror on American soil by sponsoring the deadly gang, Tren de Aragua (TDA) – their atrocious acts, which by the way, I completely frown at and totally condemn, and which Trump recently designated a terrorist organisation, is sending shock waves across Africa. The worry by a section of people that the continent may fall deeper and deeper into economic catastrophe should Trump face it is fast settling into full-blown fear.

As a matter of fact, the biggest economy in Africa, South Africa, has started to have a taste with the expulsion of her envoy from the US amid Trump’s remarks about the treatment of white farmers by the South African government. Whilst we must not compromise on our deeply rich history and celebrate our unbreakable fraternity, our leaders must not just be fascinated with the spotlight and power. They must know that their policies, actions and inactions, which appear to be chips off the block, have made life very hard for so many people – many folks are working their fingers to the bone and feeling dejected just as a ‘storm slaps reeds about’, hoping they could get a break from these grim ways.

While Trump’s ardent supporters see him as a strongman with a strong character, much of the world sees him as unpredictable. With the seeming unpredictability of the leader of the free world – choosing America and Americans over other countries and nationalities respectively seems to be one area anybody can successfully predict Trump, everyday inching closer to the possibility of an economic meltdown. I sincerely hope our leaders will take the valuable lessons from the Trump 2.0 economic agenda, tighten up and be laser-focused, and provide extraordinary leadership needed to leverage what we have to build a vibrant and innovative economy, which is one of the ways to exert global influence and develop into a superpower continent. It all comes down to leadership!

Ande, a financial and political economy analyst, writes from Lagos and can be reached via eyitayoande@gmail.com

Not that the National Assembly has done anything in recent times to shock the generality of the people. Nigerians have watched with resignation and dwindling interest the quality of their representative governance deteriorate inexorably in the course of this Fourth Republic. They wish to have pleasant surprises emerge. But that desire wasn’t fulfilled last Thursday when President Bola Tinubu approached the federal legislature to ratify the state of emergency he slammed on Rivers State two days earlier.

The occasion, readily one of the most constitutionally consequential moments of the present administration, could have been used to demonstrate not just the independence of a most critical component of government but also give the people of the affected state a voice. For, in the absence of an active popular voice, democracy – often touted as the best thing that has happened in the world’s political space – would be as hollow and potentially harmful as any loathed type of government. If people aren’t heard and responsively so, the very idea of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people would have no meaning beyond its poetic rendition.

As already pointed out on many platforms since that show of shame at the Senate and House of Representatives, the preference for voice vote in such a momentous exercise and the deliberate disregard for the proof of quorum by the leaderships of the red and green chambers signalled new lows at a time the need for systemic hope is at its peak. How will the presiding officers in both wings of the law-making institution explain to their own grandchildren the skills they brought to bear on that day in order to endorse the controversial presidential order? Again, not that this question ranks high among the cocktail of misdemeanours beclouding the credibility of the “distinguished” and “honourable” members.

Last Monday, I attended the colloquium organised to mark the 60th birthday of a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and an ex-Governor of Imo State, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. “Is Democracy Failing in Africa?” was the subject that required honest answers from the eminent personalities there. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s response was in the affirmative. The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi, declared that democracy had collapsed in Nigeria. Guest speaker, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, went philosophical and attempted to convince the audience that perfection shouldn’t be expected in its operations. Senator Aminu Tambuwal took his cue from the priest and said that the nation’s democracy was a work in progress.

Wonderful responses all, representing the disillusionment of numerous citizens and also those whose optimism and patience might have started to wear thin. In the midst of those high-quality exchanges, my mind couldn’t move away from the second arm of government. For good measure, that venue had a large number of old and serving lawmakers.

Edmund Burke, notable 18th Century English author, thinker and statesman has several words on marble to his name, two of which are: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” and “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”  These dictums now beg for attention as we attempt to navigate the waters of democracy which are becoming increasingly murky. Also, in a direct reference to the branch of government that’s designed to ensure equitable representation of the populace, Burke declares: “In effect, to follow, not to force the public inclination; to give a direction, a form, a technical dress, and a specific sanction, to the general sense of the community, is the true end of legislature.”

A core, definitive summary of the functions of the parliament, apparently. Having been deeply influenced by such iconic philosophers like John Locke, prominent Enlightenment protagonist and “father of liberalism”; Montesquieu, French judge, political scholar and key promoter of the doctrine of separation of powers; and Aristotle, timeless Greek polymath and philosopher, the validity of that statement can hardly be faulted.

The gigantic structure in the place called “three arms zone” in the nation’s capital that hosts an imposing dome is supposed to be the prime symbol for the sum-total of the hopes, frustrations, aspirations and solutions of Nigerians everywhere. The individuals who have the opportunity to represent their constituents across the federation must be conscious of their onerous task of contributing to what Burke called a “general sense of the community”.

For the citizens of Nigeria, that essentially means having men and women of integrity in the famed hallowed chambers who would prioritise their never-ending lists of concerns – both circumstantial and existential. Nearly 26 years after returning to democracy, its dividends are yet to make much meaning to many of them. But rather than seizing election cycles to celebrate a new era of freedom and brighter prospects, they’ve become reminders of broken promises and difficult dark clouds.

One legitimate poser here is why it makes sense to single out the national lawmakers at this point when, in fact, they constitute only a segment of the architecture called government. The legislature indeed encapsulates the fundamental concept of “we, the people” more than the executive and judiciary. It can’t get more profound than that. Military adventurists in politics know this. The first body which comes under the hammer anytime coup occurs is the entity that aggregates the diversities within the country. It is the thermometer that reveals the vibrancy or otherwise of democratic practice. The centrality of the legislative pillar in any civilian administration is, therefore, not in contention.

Like every other aspect of the polity, the Assembly has its own shortcomings. For instance, the current occupants have the misfortune of inheriting an overwhelming perception of being too self-serving to be of any substantial use to their constituents, let alone the entire nation. They’re saddled with the image of transactional fellows who’re there to recoup whatever they invested in securing their juicy seats. No generalisations intended. If this comment is unfair, probing around the streets of Nigeria might just be it. An average legislator today is not genuinely loved by the masses he/she claims to work for. The focus is on the ones in Abuja as law-making and oversight in the state and local government capitals are in much more dire situations. In virtually all cases, the legislators are effectively in the pockets of heads of the executive, sadly.

Therein lies the urgency of this moment. Successive sets of federal lawmakers in the present democratic dispensation have recorded varying degrees of success. But the immediate past President of the Senate and Chairman of the Assembly, Senator Ahmed Lawan, introduced a rather worrying element to the equation. He announced at his inauguration in June 2019 that under his watch, his colleagues and himself would have no problems approving whatever came from the presidency since they were sure of the intentions of former President Muhammadu Buhari. By that, he unwittingly handed over the soul of the legislature to the executive wholesale!

And now, this. Lawan’s successor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with some allegations chasing him, is in an even more precarious position at this point to lead the Assembly out of its valley of subservience and underachievement. President Tinubu already sits upon a behemoth of powers as all the federal ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals are under his control. Surrendering the Senate and House to him in whatever form would move him closer to becoming a full-blown imperial president, an outcome that Nigeria can’t afford. Every stakeholder must rise against such unwholesome tendencies. And only the senators and representatives can adequately lead that charge through constructive, not necessarily combative, and pragmatic engagement.

Ekpe, PhD, is a member of THISDAY editorial board.

The FIFA window for international football for the month of March is now over. Sadly, for the Super Eagles, no one is sure yet if it has not left us worse than it met us.

The Eagles did an amazing job in Kigali against Rwanda, gave Nigerians a credible, professional performance and a fantastic result and then undid all the good work a few days later in Uyo.

This is the story of what has become one of Nigeria’s worst World Cup qualifying campaigns in recent history.

In a group that has South Africa, Benin Republic, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Nigeria has only managed to win a game in six matches, failed to win any of the three games played at home and kept just one clean sheet. Such an abysmal form. This is not deserving of a World Cup ticket in any form or shape. It cannot sniff a playoff spot either.

However, despite these failings, the Eagles are not totally out of the picture. The race for the 2026 World Cup is still on for Nigeria. This is a miracle in itself. That the other teams in Group C have conspired to leave the race open just gives Nigeria a thin, tender thread to hang on. It must be stated here and now that in spite of the precarious situation they are in, I have not given up on them. The race to the 2026 World Cup has become very difficult to win but they are still in it so anything can still happen.

It is good to reflect on some issues here. Listen to some parts of Coach Eric Chelle’s post match statement after Tuesday’s game against Zimbabwe in Uyo: “We could have introduced a defender, but we introduced a striker because I told my boys to try to get another goal. We are talking about it because we did not win, but it would not be an issue if we won.” Of course, what does he expect?

We would speak and make a big issue out of it because the tactic backfired. One can appreciate Chelle’s honesty and desire to play on the front foot to get a big win, play attractive attacking football and score goals aplenty but things are not always that straightforward. One expects Chelle to be more pragmatic and cautious. His tactical naivety cost Nigeria two very precious points. 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 give the same number of points. Get your three points secured in the bag before seeking to improve your goal difference. At the end of the day in Uyo, we lost both ways. Two points dropped and no improvement in the goal difference. You do not lose a good result while looking for a better one. Secure the good result before looking for a better one.

In Kigali, the game management by the Eagles was top notch and very professional. In Uyo, it was the opposite. I hope this serves as a very useful lesson for coach Chelle in his fledgling career.

There is also something here for the players, especially the senior and more established ones. As the main actors on the pitch, they should be able to adapt the instructions received from the coach to the realities and flow of the game. When the Zimbabweans were pouring forward in attack and carving out some decent goal scoring opportunities, the Eagles could have adjusted and adapted to the present and obvious dangers of the moment. Perhaps, that could have prevented the collapse of the team’s defensive network leading to the heart breaking equaliser.

Despite all these, however, I must admit that I have been impressed with the attitude and work ethics of the new Eagles handler. He is doing a lot of things right. He is soaking himself well in Nigeria’s domestic football, meeting the coaches in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), getting a first hand knowledge of the thrils, frills, culture, spirit and essence of the Nigerian game and people. He wants to live here so he can ‘feel’ the mood and understand the demands as well as the high level expectations and pressure that come with managing the nation’s number one football brand. Chelle is developing a good rapport with the players. It is in Nigeria’s best interest that he is supported to succeed with the team. It is shocking that some sections of the media are already pushing for his sack. Ridiculous!

Another interesting narrative spreading like wildfire is that the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo aka Nest of Champions is jinxed and the Eagles are incapable of winning crucial games there or even playing good football there. I have had to remind a few of those spreading the.narrative that one of Nigeria’s best World Cup qualifying campaigns was the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and all the home games of the Super Eagles were played and won with excellent football in Uyo. The venue, day of a game and jersey colour do not decide the outcome of football matches. Rather it is the attitude, commitment and hunger of players that do.

Right now, since we are still in the World Cup race, let us see how to turn the thin and tender thread holding our dreams together into a battling rope, the type used for tug of war contests. To make the ‘miracles’ happen, the sports authorities have to ensure that the only FIFA window available before hostilities begin again in September is optimally utilised. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that friendly matches against Ghana and Russia are lined up for June. Not only must this period be used for team bonding and confidence building, it must also be used to educate the players that qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is a national project and all hands must be on deck to make it happen.

It is noteworthy and commendable that the Presidential Support Group (PSG), National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are seamlessly working together. The synergy is good, strong and healthy as this is galvanising tremendous support and goodwill for the Eagles. Also, the different factions of supporters now sing and dance as a forceful unit. Their voices are clearly heard. This is encouraging. The icing on the cake will now be for the results on the pitch to ‘fall in line’ as we continue to hope against hope.

Last Saturday, March 22, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, the Tony Elumelu Foundation unveiled its 11th cohort of 3,000 young entrepreneurs from 54 African countries and they will receive the traditional funding, training and mentorship.

It is an incredible opportunity that Tony Elumelu, a leading African investor and philanthropist, and his wife, Awele, a medical doctor and entrepreneur (co-founders of the Foundation), created through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme “to drive poverty alleviation, catalyse jobs, and ensure inclusive economic environment.”

March 22 is Tony Elumelu’s birthday and it is the day each cohort is unveiled every year. My birthday is March 21 – just one day apart.

Although the Tony Elumelu Foundation was founded in 2010 with a vision of a self-sustaining and prosperous Africa powered by the energy of innovation, and resilience of its young men and women, it wasn’t until five years later that the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme was launched. The goal at the time was to empower 10,000 entrepreneurs in 10 years with US100 million, but the good news is that the Foundation has now funded 24,000 entrepreneurs – a remarkable achievement – within the period.

Since 2015, these 24,000 Africans created 1.5 million jobs and generated US$4.2 billion in revenue, while lifting over two million Africans out of poverty. As a mentor of the programme, I should know. The inspiring stories of these young entrepreneurs and the impact they are making are changing the economic landscape of Africa. Each Tony Elumelu entrepreneur receives a non-refundable seed capital of US$5,000. If we do the math, the 2025 cohort of 3,000 entrepreneurs will receive UD$15 million (about N23 billion). The Foundation embodies the philosophy of Africapitalism, Tony Elumelu’s belief that African entrepreneurs are the key drivers of the continent’s economic transformation.

What these young entrepreneurs also receive is a world-class business training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and access to global networks and investment opportunities.

But Elumelu’s approach to philanthropy is to leverage influence and impact. This explains why TEF has been able to forge strategic global partnerships to further scale the 2025 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in collaboration with Google.org, the UAE Office of Development Affairs, Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (an affiliate of Erth Zayed), and Deutche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG).

Apart from launching this noble initiative with his wife, Tony Elumelu is also the Chairman of UBA, Africa’s Global Bank and Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, an African investment conglomerate. By the way, the recently released financial report for 2024 showed that UBA Group grew its Profit After Tax (PAT) to N766.6 billion, a 26.14 per cent increase from N607.7 billion in 2023.

Isn’t it better to be taught how to fish, as the popular saying goes, than being given a hand-out of fish? From the moment you set up a business, you can learn the ropes and avoid burning your fingers. Make no mistake about it, mistakes will be made, but the basic ingredients in your business plan should include a description of the business, vision, mission and values; competitive advantages, market analysis, organisational structure, products and/or services, marketing strategy, financial projections and funding request, if applicable.

In a previous article five years ago, this was what I wrote: “The TEF founder says entrepreneurship is the most effective way to establish true prosperity and he has continued to expand his vision to touch lives by providing seed money for young African entrepreneurs. But more importantly, the TEF founder wants a paradigm shift from the existing narrative whereby Africa depends largely on aids from multilateral institutions; it is not sustainable and it confers on Africa a weaker negotiating position in international trade.”

Last Saturday, Elumelu reiterated his unwavering belief in the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurs. “Today is the day we dedicate each year to democratise luck, spread hope, and create economic opportunities for young Africans across the continents,” Elumelu stated.

“When my wife and I founded TEF in 2010, we recognised the challenges young African entrepreneurs face, the barriers that stand in their way of ambition and their drive for Africa's economic transformation.”

Elumelu also told the audience that he has always believed immense opportunities exist in Africa and understands the power of transformative entrepreneurship. “I also know the obstacles,” he continued. “But I am certain that if we empower and invest in our young people, they will be the ones to solve Africa’s pressing challenges.”

Elumelu, through the Foundation – which is the philanthropic arm of Heirs Holdings – never hides his passion of creating enduring prosperity and social wealth in Africa by empowering entrepreneurs and enhancing the competitiveness in the private sector.  

These young entrepreneurs, demonstrating their talent, vision and ambition, represent the beacons of enterprise and they are poised to create “enduring wealth” in Africa as the programme continues to scale. Out of the over 200,241 applications received on TEFConnect, TEF’s proprietary digital platform (40% were women), only 3,000 (1.5 per cent) made the cut for 2025 after a rigorous and highly competitive selection process by Ernst & Young, to ensure independent assessment.

Applicants were assessed on their financial understanding and entrepreneurial mindset, as well as the feasibility, demand and scalability of their business ideas. About 48 percent of the successful applicants are Nigerians which is clearly a reflection of our population compared to the rest of Africa. The breakdown showed the sectors represented included Agribusiness (34%), Creative Industry (11%), Green Economy (11%), amongst other sectors.

Although 24,000 African entrepreneurs have been empowered so far since the inception of TEF, Elumelu knows that there are millions also waiting to receiving grants to start their own businesses. This is why at every given opportunity, the TEF Chairman continues to advocate globally for a shift from aid to investment. “In the 21st century, what Africa needs is not charity; it is investment in infrastructure, in businesses and, most importantly, in our young people, because the future of Africa lies in their hands,” he said confidently.

In her own message of encouragement, Dr. Awele Elumelu, TEF Co-Founder, congratulated and praised the young entrepreneurs. “We are incredibly proud of you and excited to witness the impact that you will create,” she said. Awele also acknowledged those who were not selected this year, and asked them to keep their entrepreneurial dreams alive.

Some of the TEF alumni who shared testimonials include Tabitha Arenson Abimiku, 2018 Alumnus and founder of Virtuous Pads; Ayodele Ognin, 2019 Alumnus and founder of Wurami Consulting, and Mohamed Dhaoufi, 2017 Alumnus and founder of Cure Bionics.

As these young African entrepreneurs of the 2025 cohort pursue their dreams, they need all the support and encouragement that they can get. When you listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, funding is always a major obstacle. TEF alumni are forever thankful to the Tony Elumelu Foundation for helping them overcome this challenge.

“I had an idea but I lacked the resources and didn’t have any network,” Abimiku, 2018 Alumnus and founder of Virtuous Pads, the multiple-award winning social enterprise, lamented some years ago. ”There was also no strategic direction, but from the seed funding, we raised additional US$50,000. We have been able to distribute more than a million reusable and washable pads across Africa.”

There are similar stories of impact that won’t be forgotten in a hurry, thanks to the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Braimah is a public relations consultant and marketing strategist.