TONY O. ELUMELU AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DAKAR’S FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY
ON OCCASION OF FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 23 STUDENT HOSTELS (18,000 ROOMS) AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DAKAR
4 APRIL, 2016
By Tony O. Elumelu, CON
Honourable Minister,
Vice Chancellor,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Usual protocols
Good afternoon, Bonjour,
It’s a pleasure to be with you all today on what is a special day for the Republic of Senegal. My name is Tony Elumelu, I am the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. I am also the chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), known as Africa’s global bank. I am particularly pleased to be here with my brother and friend the Hon. Minister of Finance, Amadou BB to highlight the symbolism of occasions such as this.
Africa needs to be transformed and Africa’s Transformation must begin with the education of our youth. Africa’s youth is it’s Future. And i am delighted that the Government of Senegal is doing this for our youth because no one but us will develop Africa and that development must begin with our Youth. This realisation that our youth must be educated and in a conducive manner, is why United Bank For Africa is pleased to finance this noble goal of H.E. President Macky Sall’s Government to provide 18,000 rooms for the students of university of Dakar .
Occasions such as this demonstrate that indeed Africa has come of age and that solutions to Africa’s challenges can be found in Africa by Africans when our public sector and private sectors work together for the benefit of our people. That is what I call Africapitalism.
I salute the Government of Senegal for spearheading this public -Private Sector development model that yields economic prosperity and social dividends for our people. And I highly commend this approach to our other African Governments and private sector leaders. Africa’s public and Provate sector leaders must work together and urgently, to avert our demographic boom becoming a demographic doom.
Education is a veritable tool for empowering Africa’s youth. And the Empowerment of Africa’s youth is deep within my heart. This is why through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, I launched the $100m Tony Elumelu Entreprepreneurship Programme in 2015 to economically empower 10,000 African youth over a period of 10 years by training, mentoring, and the provision of seed capital to enable them realise their entrepreneurial calling.
I am therefore honoured and privileged to be here today to lay the first stone for the construction of the new 23 hostels that will provide additional 18,000 rooms for young Africans pursuing their education in the University of Dakar. This is to the Glory of God and advancement of educational pursuit and the ultimate transformation of Africa.
God bless UBA
God bless the Republic of Senegal
God bless and prosper Africa
