LAGOS, NIGERIA – EQS Newswire – December 11, 2023 – Tony Elumelu Foundation (https://www.TonyElumeluFoundation.org) Welcomes leaders from the US Administration, WTO, UNDP, IFC, UNICEF and the Rockefeller Foundation; Promotes equitable partnerships to catalyze a new generation of green entrepreneurs; Announces partnership to finance young African entrepreneurs in the green sector with the Ikea Foundation, the Dutch government and UNICEF Generation Unlimited; Secures commitments to help African youth build climate resilience from the World Trade Organization, World Bank, UNDP, Swedish government, IFC, US Department of State and others .
During a series of events organized during COP28, Tony Elumelu delivered a unique message to world leaders: Africa must be heard, the future of Africa is the future of the world and the continent the most affected by climate change and the one contributing least to it needs our attention. With African youth expected to represent a third of the world’s population by the end of this century, the future of Africa’s youth, entrepreneurial, ambitious and resilient, must be given the highest priority.
Elumelu offered his partners the infrastructure and experience of his own foundation’s $100 million, 10-year entrepreneurship program, to catalyze a new generation of African entrepreneurs; entrepreneurs who can tackle climate change and drive the broader wealth creation that Africa needs. Reaching and funding young entrepreneurs across African countries, Elumelu’s approach to seed funding, mentoring and industry-agnostic networking has had a huge impact.
The annual COP UN climate change conferences bring the world together to assess progress in the fight against climate change. Elumelu is a leading advocate for an equitable climate action agenda in Africa and, through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, has empowered thousands of green entrepreneurs, shaping a future more sustainable for Africa.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in partnership with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), organized a high-level session bringing together Africans and key stakeholders from the Gulf, Europe and the Americas, where UBA operates, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions. approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation, while promoting sustainable development and drawing attention to Africa’s unique position.
Speakers included Dr. Okonjo Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Ahunna Eziakonwa, Deputy Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP, Kevin Frey, CEO of UNICEF Generation Unlimited; Sergio Pimenta, Vice President Africa, IFC; Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, World Bank; Adam Wang-Levine, US Undersecretary for Climate; Joseph Nganga, Vice President, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Rockefeller Foundation; Hassan Al Hashemi, Vice President of International Relations, Dubai Chambers; Serge Ekué, president of the West African Development Bank (BOAD); Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa; and Mattias Frumerie, Swedish climate ambassador and head of the UNFCCC delegation.
“The fight against climate change is the paramount challenge of our time. The urgency is undeniable.” » said Elumelu. “It is essential that Africa, as a continent, and African voices, play a key role in global climate conversations, as meaningful participants and no longer as spectators. Africa is least responsible and is disproportionately affected by climate change. I am investing in a generation of green entrepreneurs, and we are extending the hand of partnership, so that others can benefit and use the infrastructure and platform we have created to reach entrepreneurs across Africa.
Elumelu represented the African private sector at the New Global Finance Compact 2023 in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, and at the Climate Finance Mobilization Forum in London, at the invitation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and of US President Biden. At the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) launched a first-of-its-kind green entrepreneurship program, the #BeGreenAfrica initiative, in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, the Dutch government and UNICEF. GenU, to support green entrepreneurship and youth development.
Tony Elumelu Madagascar green economy entrepreneur, Marie-Christiana Kola, shared a compelling impact story. “As a beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program, I was able to create a recycled, 100% biodegradable hand soap made from used cooked oils – the number one polluter of water in African cities. These soaps not only protect water. “The environment, but they are also solidarity soaps. I was also able to attend the COP27 conference in Egypt, where I won the Innovation Prize. Today, I have employed over 30 people thanks to the Tony Elumelu Foundation. ”
Speaking at the TEF #COP28 high-level event, Dr Okonjo Iweala, DG of the World Trade Organization, said: “I am proud of what my brother, Tony Elumelu, has done to empower and inspire so many young entrepreneurs. We do not have the choice. “The future is green. The future of growth is two things: it is green and it must be inclusive. I am very interested in partnerships with organizations like TEF.”
Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, added: “The reason UNDP partnered with the Tony Elumelu Foundation years ago is due to the leadership and courage of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. trust and invest in young Africans. the first organization to do so on this scale.
The Foundation has partnered with UNDP to empower thousands of people in the Sahel, with an ambitious project aiming to impact the lives of a million young Africans.
Sergio Pimenta, Vice President for Africa at IFC, also said: “Tony, I salute you and your Foundation for what you have done to support young entrepreneurs in Africa. The IFC deployed $2 billion in financing for African SMEs in the last financial year. year and we are very happy to be able to do more by working with you.
Kevin Frey, CEO of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, added: “With TEF, we have made concerted progress in the entrepreneurial space. Generation Unlimited now has a flagship program with the Tony Elumelu Foundation called #BeGreenAfrica, launched in Kenya, and now with the support of the IKEA Foundation and the Dutch government, we have expanded to Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa and in Senegal. We will train and train 500 green entrepreneurs this year under the pilot project across these countries. So Tony, thank you very much, you’re right, it’s all about partnerships.”
Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative at the World Bank, announced: “Our women-focused initiative has successfully mobilized $3.6 billion to finance women entrepreneurs in 67 countries around the world. , and is set to launch a new program focused on financing African women entrepreneurs to drive the continent’s green energy transition, and we look forward to working with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Mattias Frumerie, Swedish Climate Ambassador and head of the UNFCCC delegation, said: “My government and I welcome the incredible impact of the Tony Elumelu Foundation across Africa and will facilitate links between the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Swedish embassies across Africa to drive innovation, digitalization, and the transition to green energy, which promises to create new jobs and growth. »
Adam Wang-Levine, US Assistant Secretary for Climate, added: “Before joining the US Treasury, I worked in venture capital and I know first-hand that what the Tony Elumelu Foundation does is extremely important. I saw two pillars of their work – funding and mentoring – just like I saw with Silicon Valley, which helps drive innovation and job creation. We are excited to begin partnership conversations.
Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy Managing Director of United Bank for Africa, announced: “For us, UBA, we provide market access in 20 geographies in Africa. Everything we do is about Africa, and that’s why we’ve partnered with Afrexim Bank to launch the $6 billion SME fund focused on import substitution, working in four key areas including reduction of climate emissions.
Earlier today, Tony Elumelu joined Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group; Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America; Ms. Ruth Porat, President of Alphabet and Google; and Ms. Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President of Emerson Collective, as a panelist in a session titled “Big, Bold and Green: A Convergence of Visionaries,” moderated by Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum.
On Sunday, December 3, Mr. Tony Elumelu also participated in a fireside chat with Ms. Teresa Ribera, Vice President of the Spanish Government and Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Change, moderated by Sec. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and with closing remarks from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
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