“The smell of roasted maize always reminds me of where I started,” Ifeoma Nwosu says, her voice tinged with nostalgia. “I wasn’t just selling maize; I saw hope in each penny I made.”
Today, Ifeoma sits in her modest office in Lagos as the proud owner of a thriving agribusiness exporting cassava flour to Europe. Five years ago, she was a street vendor carrying the weight of a struggling family and dwindling hope for a better life. Her story, like many others, was rewritten by the Tony Elumelu Foundation, founded in 2010 by Nigerian banker Tony Elumelu.
Among its missions is to foster economic growth within Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by empowering African entrepreneurs like Ifeoma.
“You can do better. You’re wasting your brilliance on the streets,” Ifeoma recalls her younger brother, Chuka, often telling her.
Back then, in 2018, Ifeoma wasn’t sure what “better” looked like. One day, while selling maize at her usual bus stop in Enugu, she overheard a conversation about TEF’s grants. Intrigued, she asked the young men what it was about.
“It felt too good to be true,” she recalls. “A foundation giving $5,000 to people like me? What’s the catch?” Assured there was no catch, Ifeoma submitted her business idea: a sustainable cassava processing plant. Weeks later, she received the life-changing email that read: Congratulations, you have been selected for the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme!
“I screamed so loudly my neighbours thought I’d won the lottery,” Ifeoma says, laughing.
One Entrepreneur at a Time
Ifeoma’s story is one of many. Across the continent, similar narratives unfold. In Kigali, Rwanda, tech enthusiast Jean-Pierre Nshimiyimana created AgriLink, an app connecting rural farmers directly with urban markets. In Kaduna, northern Nigeria, Amina Jazuli launched a natural skincare line, Baobab Bliss, using locally sourced shea butter. Each entrepreneur’s journey is deeply personal yet tied to a common goal: uplifting Africa.
For Amina, her journey began with childhood memories of her grandmother mixing shea butter under a baobab tree. “She called it her magic potion,” Amina says, smiling. After graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Amina dreamed of turning that family tradition into a global brand. But limited funds and zero business experience held her back.
“I remember staring at my savings account, wondering how to stretch 20,000 naira into a miracle,” she recalls. Encouraged by a friend, she applied to TEF. “The grant was amazing, but the mentorship was priceless,” she says. “They taught me how to pitch my brand, manage finances, and scale my business.” Baobab Bliss is currently sold in two countries and employs over 20 women in her community.
Jean-Pierre’s journey was fuelled by frustration. “Farmers in my village were always being cheated by middlemen,” he says.
Determined to change this, he developed AgriLink. However, his lack of resources stalled progress. Joining TEF in 2019 provided the breakthrough he needed. “My mentor told me, ‘You’re not just building an app; you’re solving a problem.’ That changed everything for me,” Jean-Pierre shares.
Today, AgriLink has over 50,000 users and has increased farmers’ incomes by as much as 40%.
The TEF Tribe
What sets TEF apart is its emphasis on connectivity. Entrepreneurs are not just given grants; they are brought into a network of dreamers and doers referred to as the “TEF Tribe.”
“You meet people from all walks of life, each with a different story but the same fire,” Ifeoma says. Meeting Jean-Pierre and Amina at a TEF networking event in Lagos was life-changing. “Jean-Pierre’s app helped me find new buyers, and Amina gave me tips on branding. We’re not competing; we’re collaborating.”
At a TEF alumni event, a mentor asked the trio about their future plans.
“I want to scale up production,” Ifeoma said. “I’ve started exporting to a few countries, but there’s so much more potential.” Jean-Pierre added, “I want to expand AgriLink to East Africa. There’s a lot of dreams in my head begging to taste light.”
Shaping Africa’s Future
TEF’s impact extends beyond business growth—it is about transforming lives. Ifeoma now sponsors three girls in her community to attend school. Amina runs workshops teaching women how to turn shea butter into profitable products. Jean-Pierre’s app is inspiring a wave of tech innovations in Africa.
With over 18,000 entrepreneurs empowered and a $100 million commitment, TEF is not just funding businesses but reshaping Africa’s narrative.
“We’re proving that the solutions to Africa’s problems lie within Africa,” Tony Elumelu says. “All we need is to empower our people.”
As Ifeoma, Amina, and Jean-Pierre prepare to attend the next TEF Forum in Lagos, they carry not just their dreams but the collective hope of a continent. For the Tony Elumelu Foundation, each success story is a step closer to a brighter, self-sustained future for Africa.
The content tells the inspiring stories of African entrepreneurs Ifeoma Nwosu, Amina Jazuli, and Jean-Pierre Nshimiyimana, who have transformed their lives and communities through the support of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). Ifeoma, once a street vendor, now runs a successful agribusiness exporting cassava flour, thanks to a TEF grant and mentorship. Amina, inspired by her grandmother's shea butter tradition, launched Baobab Bliss, a skincare line empowering local women, after receiving TEF funding and guidance. Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre developed AgriLink, an app connecting farmers to urban markets, significantly increasing their incomes with TEF’s help.
The TEF, founded by Tony Elumelu in 2010, focuses on empowering African entrepreneurs by providing financial support and fostering a network dubbed the “TEF Tribe,” promoting collaboration over competition. The foundation’s impact extends beyond business success, fostering community upliftment and inspiring innovation. It aims to reshape Africa’s narrative by tapping into homegrown solutions, with over 18,000 entrepreneurs empowered and a commitment of $100 million. These entrepreneurs symbolize hope and potential, driving a brighter future for Africa, emphasizing that unlocking African talents is crucial for the continent's development.
