TheCable

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced that the 3rd annual TEF entrepreneurship forum will take place in Lagos between October 13 and October 14.

The organisers described forum, which will see the gathering of 1,300 African entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers from 54 countries, as the “most inclusive gathering of African small market enterprises (SMEs)”.

This year’s forum is open to non-TEF entrepreneurs and will allow SMEs from across Africa to attend and form networks, share knowledge, connect with investors, link with corporate supply chains and influence policymakers and business leaders in attendance.

“Since launching the TEF entrepreneurship programme, and committing $100 million to empowering 10,000 African entrepreneurs in a decade, we have unleashed our continent’s most potent development force – its entrepreneurs,” said Tony Elumelu, TEF founder.

“In just three years, our 3,000 entrepreneurs have created tens of thousands of jobs and generated considerable wealth.

“On October 13 and 14, we invite the global entrepreneurship community to Lagos toward the realisation of a New Africa, a thriving, self-reliant continent capable of replicating the results we have seen in our ground-breaking programme.”

The two-day event features plenary panels, master classes, and sector-specificc networking opportunities, as well as policy-led talks, focused on improving the enabling environment for African businesses.

Speakers expected at the event include Wale Ayeni, International Finance Corporation; Stephen Tio Kauma, Afrexim Bank; Andre Hue, African Development Bank; Stephen M. Haykin, USAID Nigeria; Heikke Reugger, European Investment Bank; Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, United Nations Development Programme.