Sierra Leone News: ‘UBA Marketplace’ Africa’s Largest Entrepreneurial Event Enhances TEF Youth Entrepreneurship Programme

UBA Marketplace, Africa’s biggest trade fair will be hosting some  20,000 visitors and over 100 small and medium enterprises, plus top private and public sector players in Abuja on the 26^th & 27^th July 2019. Top artists like Wizkid, Niniola, Dj Cuppy, Dj Neptune performing as Cynthia Nassardine, RMD will also be gracing the 2-Day event. The event seeks to promote young entrepreneurs and business people across Africa and create the enabling environment for interaction among business owners and the mentorship of youths.

Kenneth Uzoka, Group Manager of UBA Plc had this to say about the event “I think everyone realises the fact that we need to prioritise the private sector. We need to encourage entrepreneurship and the youths. This is the driving factor and the major reason why we are organising an event of this magnitude’.

At the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Business Forum, a partnership agreement was signed between the UNDP and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) to financially support 100,000 young entrepreneurs in Africa over 10 years. The partnership is dubbed TEF-UNDP Sahel Youth Entrepreneurship Programme. The President of Niger, H.E Mahamadou Issoufou joined UNDP and TEF to launch the programme.

The partnership was announced at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), where TEF Founder, Tony Elumelu and UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa joined African Presidents at that forum.

The TEF Youth Entrepreneurship Programme has benefited 7,520 local entrepreneurs across 54 African countries in five years of existence. Selected applicants will each receive a maximum of $5,000 non-refundable seed capital, access to mentors, a 12-week business training and networking opportunities and will join the previously announced 3,051 beneficiaries of the 2019 cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.

The applications will be run on TEFConnect and forms will be available in any of the branches of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). Following the end of the application window, an initial longlist of 5,500 applicants will be selected to undergo the 12-week business training. After the training, the final shortlist of 2,000 applicants will be announced to join the previous 2019 TEF cohort.

More Sierra Leoneans entrepreneurs were captured this year and were selected in this year’s TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.

Below is the hyperlink to be accessed.

https://www.ubagroup.com/nigeria/market-place-africa/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-vH90nhKe/?igshid=1dt4s1ic1qg1o

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz96T5znmn9/?igshid=5x5sdkbwlp61

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The Calabash Newspaper Established in 2017, The Calabash Newspaper serves as a trusted platform for news and general information dissemination, catering to a broad Sierra Leonean audience both at home and abroad through its active presence on social media. The publication is committed to engaging its diverse readership by reporting on topical news events in Sierra Leone, enriched with editorials and insightful commentaries on pressing issues of the day. In addition to local news, The Calabash Newspaper expands its scope to include topics of continental interest, drawing from various international publications that address political, economic, and social developments across Africa.

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