Tony Elumelu
President Paul Kagame and Nigerian billionaire Tony Elumelu are scheduled to feature at the Young Entrepreneurship Day (YED) at the Africa 2017 Forum due next month.
Kagame is the chairman of Smart Africa while Tony Elumelu is founder of the $100 million Entrepreneurship Program.
Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program is a pan-African program inspired by the Founder’s Inclusive economic philosophy of Africapitalism, based on the belief that a vibrant African-led private sector is key to unlocking Africa’s socio-economic potential.
The program organises competition and funds young African entrepreneurs who present the best projects.
In this forum, Heads of State and Government, private sector and business leaders in Africa and the world discuss a wide range of business and development issues on the continent.
They also engage with some of Africa’s most important economic partners and stakeholders.
YED is a new addition to the Forum and will take place on the eve of Africa 2017 Forum, on December 17th in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
The day has been designed to connect Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs and also give them exposure to investors, incubators and accelerators as well as to partake in workshops that will give them skills and tools to scale up their businesses.
According to a communiqué released today, both President Kagame and Elumelu have been championing entrepreneurship and will be sharing their perspectives both from government and the private sector as well as engaging in an open platform with some upcoming leaders from across Africa.
The YED, is organized by the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation of Egypt and COMESA’s Regional Investment Agency.
Africa 2017 has been earmarked as the biggest Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Government (B2G) gathering to take place in Africa this year.
Alongside President Al Sisi of Egypt and President Kagame, the Presidents of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Outtara will be in attendance as well as the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani and the Prime Minister of Mozambique Carlos Agostinho do Rosário.
Some of Africa’s business community will also attend Africa 2017, with the aim to accelerate cross-border investments and partnerships.
Meanwhile, Rwanda has set aside an ambitious target of creating 1.5 million jobs in the next seven years and wants the youth to play a key role in creating off-farm jobs.
More than 75% of Rwanda’s 12 million population is below 35 years.
