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Angelle B. Kwemo Joins The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) Selection Committee

January 08, 2015

New Program Set To Create An Impactful Economic "Tsunami" in Africa [caption id="attachment_15276" align="alignleft" width="402"]From L-R: Ms. Nimi Akinkugbe; Ambassador Jendai Frazier ; Ms. Wiebe Boer, Ms. ParminderVir OBE; Chairman Tony Elumelu ;Ms. Angelle Kwemo ; Mr. Ayodeji Adewunmi and Ambassador Josephina Washima. From L-R: Ms. Nimi Akinkugbe; Ambassador Jendai Frazier ; Ms. Wiebe Boer, Ms. ParminderVir OBE; Chairman Tony Elumelu ;Ms. Angelle Kwemo ; Mr. Ayodeji Adewunmi and Ambassador Josephina Washima.[/caption] WASHINGTON D.C., JANUARY 7, 2015-Angelle B. Kwemo, Founder & Chair, Believe in Africa (BIA) and Managing Director & CEO, Rimsom Strategies, Ltd., has been appointed to serve as one of the ten members of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program Selection Committee (TEEP). The TEEP committee's mission is to identify 10,000 entrepreneurs to participate in a new entrepreneurship program. The $100 million TEEP initiative will create a new pan-African entrepreneurship program that will create 10,000 startups across Africa within the next 10 years. The TEEP initiative will identify the startups and entrepreneurs with ideas that have the potential to succeed in creating employment and wealth. Program participants will learn to grow their businesses through business skills training, mentoring, access to seed capital funding, information and membership in an Africa-wide alumni network. TEEP aims to create businesses that can generate at least 1,000,000 new jobs and contribute at least $10 billion in new annual revenue across Africa. "I applaud Tony O. Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, for his vision and this historical initiative. Like him, we believe in Africa, we believe in the potential of African entrepreneurs and the impact they can have on the long term economic transformation of Africa's economies," said TEEP Committee member Angelle Kwemo. "By democratizing access to opportunity, with an emphasis on tapping into the talent of Africa's young people, this program strives to "institutionalize luck", which is a key factor in the success of any entrepreneur" as M. Elumelu rightfully put it, "this program has the potential to create a long overdue economic "tsunami" in Africa. This is in line with Believe in Africa's fundamental principles--Believing, Inspiring and Acting," added Kwemo. " Africa's biggest asset is not only its natural resources, but more importantly, its human potential. It is time to harvest it. It is going to be challenging to select program participants from a legion of bright, innovative and commercially viable projects. But I stand ready and committed to the task." She added: "The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program is the single largest investment program launched by an African born, raised and succeeding on the African soil to support African empowerment. This represents the evidence that the African private section has reached a maturity level allowing them to play a more active and responsible role on the continent's future, providing a tailored made African solutions to African challenges. The so-called « rise » of the continent is no longer a simple slogan". She concluded: "Africa needs to create 54 million jobs by 2020. Maintaining peace and security is one of the continent's 21st century challenges. This program will contribute to addressing this non-traditional security threat. Also, building prosperity is a prerequisite to spur democracy. It is our hope that other leaders in the private sector will follow suit, and that African governments will liberalize their economies, embracing and enforcing policies that will allow those new entrepreneurs to strive and future "Elumelus" and "Dangotes" to emerge. This is Africapitalism in action. Therefore, I pray that all stakeholders, in Africa and abroad, will join forces as the TEEP ushers Africans to a new path, a new era of self-reliance, dignity and lasting prosperity. The World, Africa, and our generation are awaiting with an ardent desire to see the manifestation of the true potential of children of Africa. 2015 is indeed the Year of African entrepreneurs. I am proud and invite all of you to be on the good side of Africa's history". "Angelle Kwemo will be a great addition to the selection committee team, as she is passionate about empowering the next generation of African leaders. Africa's future depends on Africans," said Constant Nemale, co-founder of Believe in Africa and Chair of Africa24 TV. "I applaud Tony Elumelu, our Africapitalist-in-Chief, for his vision and leadership. He put his money where his mouth is. Under our label, Believe in Africa, Africa24 TV is committed to supporting African initiatives that will have an impact on Africa's long-term economic growth and contributing to correct the misconception of Africa being a continent in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Our entrepreneurs are looking for investments and partnership opportunities, not just handouts. This is what the TEEP will provide. The Tony Elumelu initiative reinforces our pride and dignity of a continent full of talent, generosity and resiliency. I salute Tony Elumelu, a true son of Africa, for this historical initiative. I am honored to endorse this program and to contribute to making 2015 the Year of African entrepreneurs." "With the world fastest growing youth population, reaching nearly 200 million and expected to double by 2045, efforts to create jobs in the continent is a priority," said Pape Samp, Chairman of the Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN). "Africa needs an innovative entrepreneurship development program such as TEEP to address youth unemployment, provide start-up capital, and sustain businesses." Believe in Africa(BIA) is an African diaspora-led initiative founded by former U.S. congressional staffers and African leaders in the U.S., to empower young Africans, promote the role of the African private sector, harness the power of the African diaspora, educate policy makers and the public about African economic growth and highlight the continent's gradual rise in the global community *Source Believe In Africa]]>

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