Why I Don’t Have Interest In Becoming President- Tony Elumelu

The founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Tony Elumelu, has disclosed that he is not interested in becoming the President of Nigeria.

While answering questions at the unveiling of the beneficiaries of its prestigious Entrepreneurship Programme in Lagos on Friday, the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) said he is not aspiring to become the president because everyone cannot lead the country.

The Nigerian businessman said that he is proud of what the foundation has been accomplished in the 10 years since its inception.

According to him, “These 1,104 young men and women from 54 African countries will each receive a non-refundable $5,000 seed capital.

“We believe in spreading luck, we believe in democratizing luck, we believe in prosperity, and we think that the easiest way to spread prosperity in Africa is by identifying our young ones, encouraging them and helping them to start their own businesses. This is why we have done this.

“Till date, over 20,000 young men and women from across Africa have received over $100 million in support of their program. We are happy to see our young ones progressing. We are happy that what we started alone as Tony Elumelu foundation will have been able to identify and partner with other global institutions.

“So, today is a day of impact, a day of gratitude, and most importantly, a day of reflection for me because God has been kind in so many ways. My family and I do what we do, not from the abundance of wealth, but just a realisation that poverty anywhere is a threat to us everywher and that we cannot live alone in prosperity. 

“So, I’m happy that today, we continue to spread that prosperity- not just in Nigeria, not just in our family, but in all 54 African countries. I am indeed happy that in our lifetime, we are able to impact the next generation.”