At the 5th edition
of the annual Economic Forum of the Ivorian National Council of
Employers, CGECI Academy, (CGECI) which was held in ABIDJAN, the Ivorian
Capital, Tony Elumelu and Chris Kirubi were awarded with Lifetime
Achievement Awards. During the formal presentation to honour Elumelu
and Kirubi on the leadership and key role they play as African business
champions, the Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire congratulated both
African Business Leaders and further stressed that his country had a lot
of potential to support the development of entrepreneurship and growth
of the private sector. He enjoined young Ivorian entrepreneurs to come
forward with their ideas and share them with business champions like
Elumelu and Kirubi who have the money to help. ‘’ Mr Elumelu, You are
the Pride of Africa’’ Prime Minister Duncan said.
As
he addressed the guests present at the event, Chairman of African
investments company, Heirs Holdings, UBA Plc and Transcorp Plc, Mr. Tony
Elumelu advocated for the collaboration of the private and public
sectors to create value in the global competitive business landscape. He
stressed that Africa must encourage champions for economic development.
“Development is not an option’ he stated. “No one can develop the
African continent but us. We must always remember that no one can rescue
us. When the private sector operators divorce themselves from the
development agenda of the countries in which they operate, everyone
suffers.’’
“The
SMEs are the backbone of any economy anywhere in the world and when
governments ignore the private sector, the consequences are stark”
continued Elumelu. On his part, Kirubi motivated the young entrepreneurs
present saying: “Africa is a come back kid. The future of Africa is in
the hands of the young people.’ Of Business influencers who can move
the continent towards development he said “we have to open the markets
in each others countries. We cannot be swimming in small swimming pools
and call ourselves champions’’.
L-R: Mauritius Deputy Prime Minister, Xavier-Luc Duval; Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, United Bank for Africa Plc and
keynote speaker /recipient of the General Confederation of Enterprises
of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI) Lifetime Award, Tony O. Elumelu at the 5th
edition of the annual forum of the CGECI Academy 2016 held in Abidjan,
Côte d’Ivoire.
Mr.
Elumelu tasked entrepreneurs to seek opportunities to accelerate their
business success(including through The Tony Elumelu Foundation
Entrepreneurship Programme, TEEP). “We are champions of African
development because we are Africapitalists. Through Africapitalism, I
seek to evangelize what works for successful business investments and
inspire other entrepreneurs like yourselves’. TEEP Elumelu’s 10-year,
$100 million commitment, to identify and empower 10,000 African
entrepreneurs, create one million jobs and add $10 billion in revenues
to Africa’s economy.
Since
its initiation in 2012 by the Ivorian National council of Employers,
the annual economic forum, CGECI Academy, has provided a platform to
raise awareness among African entrepreneurs about existing sources of
capital and investors available to help grow and develop their
businesses. The forum seeks to change the paradigm of access to finance
in Côte d’Ivoire, creating a platform for sharing experiences and
expertise. Furthermore, it aims to present the Ivorian private sector to
regional and international partners and highlight the achievements and
the opportunities within it. Other activities during the event include
the announcement of the yearly business plan competition and a segment
dedicated to sharing the experiences and testimonials of entrepreneurs.
The ceremony
was attended by over three thousand delegates from across Africa
including the Prime Minister of Cote D’Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan and
the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Anerod Juganauth, amongst
other business leaders and government officials.
L-R:
Chairman of the National Council of Employers, General Confederation of
Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI), Jean Kacou Diagou; Minister of
industry & Mines Côte d’Ivoire, Jean Claude Brou; Chairman, Heirs
Holdings, United Bank for Africa Plc and keynote speaker /recipient of
the CGECI Lifetime Achievement Tony O. Elumelu; and Chairman of Centum
Group, Christopher John Kirubi, at the 5th edition of the annual forum
of the CGECI Academy 2016 held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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