Google And The Tony Elumelu Foundation Launch Fellowship Programme To Assist 1M African Entrepreneurs
Google and the Tony Elumelu Foundation launch fellowship programme to assist 1M African entrepreneurs
A new Google.org Fellowship was announced on March 16, by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and Google, with the goal of expanding access to TEFConnect to one million additional Africans. This is part of the Foundation's mission to empower young African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries.
At a ceremony held at the Foundation's headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, in which several African political and business leaders were present, the announcement was made.
As the first Google.org Fellowship in Africa, this collaboration will open up a world of possibilities for the continent's digital community. In partnership with the Foundation, nine full-time Google employees will collaborate on the design and development of an upgraded version of the TEFConnect platform. They will include software engineers, UI/UX researchers, and policy experts, among other professionals.
With over a million African entrepreneurs already registered, TEFConnect is a one-stop shop for small businesses looking for tailored tools, market connections, and connections with coaches and investors.
As part of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2021, this fellowship will build on Google.org's initial $3 million grant to support the program by empowering an additional 500 African women to start or scale their businesses. This $100 million initiative, which has assisted over 15,000 African entrepreneurs and is Africa's largest entrepreneurship program, was established by The Africa Foundation (TEF).
"My water company was experiencing financial difficulties prior to enrolling in the TEF Entrepreneurship Program. Since receiving TEF's assistance, I've been able to purchase new machines and reach out to more communities in order to make the water purification process more efficient. I provide clean water at a reasonable price to rural communities that do not have access to it. The Tony Elumelu Foundation Grant allowed me to realize a lifelong dream and take advantage of an incredible opportunity thanks to the generosity of the foundation. More people should participate; this is Africa's most innovative platform, and it deserves more attention "Lungile Marhungane, CEO of Jesu Puro Water and a TEF beneficiary, shared his thoughts.
A new generation of African entrepreneurs is being empowered by the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which is catalyzing economic growth, eradicating poverty, and creating jobs throughout all 54 African countries. TEF has distributed over $85 million in seed capital to support small business growth across Africa since its inception in 2003.
Tony Elumelu Foundation co-founder Dr Awele V. Elumelu made the following statement:
"For the foreseeable future, we look forward to continuing to share our unrivaled ability and platform for identifying, training, mentoring, and funding young African entrepreneurs with other like-minded organizations such as Google.org that share our commitment to empowering young African entrepreneurs. Watching how the revitalized TEFConnect platform continues to provide a space for African entrepreneurs to grow, develop personally, and engage in meaningful exchange will be extremely interesting. In accordance with our founding philosophy of Africapitalism, we believe that entrepreneurs can serve as catalysts for the social and economic development of the African continent."
In response to this exciting partnership, Jen Carter, global head of technology at Google.org, shared the following thoughts with us:
"We are thrilled to announce the launch of our first Google.org Fellowship in Africa, which will take place in the coming months. In addition to making significant contributions to the empowerment of African entrepreneurs, we are delighted to be able to draw on the expertise of Googlers to expand the reach of the TEFConnect platform to an additional 1 million entrepreneurs."
"With the advancement of technology, Google's commitment to Africa has progressed from project sponsorship to collaborative partnerships with well-established African organizations such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which is committed to the development of young African talent. With the growth of Africa's digital economy, African entrepreneurs are in a unique position to establish a strong digital footprint, and this fellowship brings us one step closer to transforming the landscape "She went on to say more.
