THE President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has described the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa Plc, Tony Elumelu, as a tenacious personality, a man who hardly backs down from any challenge.
Dangote, who said this, in a piece on Elumelu, published in the influential American news Magazine, TIME, as a tribute to the business giant on making the list of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world (2020), noted that Elumelu was a leading proponent of ‘Africapitalism’.
He said, “A mere handshake says a lot about Tony Elumelu. His gritty grip underlines his charming, tenacious personality: a man who hardly backs down from any challenge. The same engaging qualities have propelled him from a modest beginning in Nigeria to becoming chair of the United Bank of Africa, and one of the most innovative and ambitious business leaders of his generation.
“He is a leading proponent of ‘Africapitalism,’ a belief that Africa’s private sector can and must play a leading role in the continent’s development through long-term investments, as well as entrepreneurship and regional connectivity.
“After deepening the financial market in Africa, he has found an equally important niche: giving a voice of hope to millions of youths across Africa. Tony has harnessed Africa’s youth bulge to catalyze development and protect the future, committing to investing $5,000 each in 1,000 young entrepreneurs per year across 54 countries in Africa.
“Having come so far, Tony still forges on, striking a fine balance between personal satisfaction and societal impact.”
