The Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar
III, commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation and its Founder, Tony O. Elumelu for
their contribution to entrepreneurship and creation of jobs for young people in
the North.
The Sultan made this commendation during a courtesy visit
paid by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of UBA Group and Founder of Tony Elumelu
Foundation, shortly before the National Dialogue Series at the Usman Danfodiyo
University, Sokoto, where Elumelu gave a speech to university students and
civic leaders. The Sultan of Sokoto stated that Elumelu’s intervention, through
his Foundation, and entrepreneurship advocacy has created jobs and helped in
creating security in the North by keeping idle youths off the streets.
“We need more Tony Elumelus. We need more Aliko
Dangotes,” he said. “We continue to appreciate what you are doing for our youth
because when you take these children off the streets, you provide the means for
them to live a simple life. In that regard, we have a bit of security”.
Tagged “Entrepreneurship: An Antidote to Nigerian Youth
Unemployment”, the ensuing event, which was held at the University Campus of
the Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, was hosted by its Vice Chancellor,
Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, who commended Elumelu on his dedication to
encouraging entrepreneurship among the youth.
“We have been following your activities. Of recent the
activity that caught our eyes is the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship
Programme where you set aside $100million for the next 10 years to ensure that
African youth, not only Nigerians but African youth develop Africa," he
said
In reply, Elumelu appreciated the university for the
opportunity to share his message of Africapitalism with the students. He
charged the students to adopt the philosophy, noting that it would help them
understand their place in transforming Africa.
“To attain long term success, I want you to adopt
Africapitalism as a guiding philosophy. I want you to develop a keen sense of
awareness that Africa is in dire need of leaders both in the private and public
sectors and your ideas can indeed transform the continent,” he said to the
students.
He further challenged the students to take on
entrepreneurship as a means of eradicating poverty and creating more jobs in
the society.
“Only entrepreneurs can create the millions of jobs we
need to power our economy out of poverty,” Elumelu said.
He charged them to assume responsibility for developing
the African continent, saying: “Nobody but us will develop Africa. Africa’s
destiny lies in the hands of all of us, Africans," he concluded.
Tags
Business