The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), a philanthropic organization empowering young African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, has announced a USD million strategic partnership with the UAE Office of Development Affairs and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (an affiliate of Erth Zayed). This collaboration will support 1,000Â young African entrepreneurs through business training, mentorship, network access, and non-refundable seed capital needed to launch and grow their businesses.
The agreement was signed at the World Government Summit by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, and His Excellency Mohamed Haji Al Khoori, Director General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation. This partnership underscores both organizations’ commitment to fostering economic empowerment and entrepreneurship across Africa.
The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation will leverage the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s proven expertise in entrepreneurship through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, known for its success in providing business management training, mentorship, and capital funding to African entrepreneurs.
The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, affiliated with Erth Zayed, has a long-standing record of supporting humanitarian and developmental projects focused on education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and enterprise development.
“Empowering entrepreneurs is not just a moral imperative, but also a strategic investment in Africa’s future. By providing the necessary access to capital, mentorship, and resources, we are unlocking the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurial talent, eradicating poverty, driving self-reliance, and paving the way for inclusive growth and prosperity on the continent,” said Tony Elumelu.
“This partnership reflects our shared vision of empowering Africa’s next generation of business leaders and will create a ripple effect of economic transformation across the continent.”
TEF’s partnerships span international organizations like the EU, UNDP, ICRC, and the IKEA Foundation.
Since launching the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has:
- Trained 2.5 million young Africans via its digital hub, TEFConnect
- Disbursed over USD$100 million to more than 21,000 African entrepreneurs
- Created over 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs
- Lifted 2 million Africans out of poverty
This new collaboration with the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation marks its first with Gulf-based philanthropy, symbolizing the growing investment, diplomatic, and cultural ties between the GCC and Africa.
The applications are officially opened for the 2025 TEF program with the deadline set for March 1st, 2o25. Young African entrepreneurs with innovative ideas or existing businesses (not older than five years) are encouraged to apply for the program.
For more information about the program application visit the TEF Impact Page.
