By Amin Kef Sesay
Sierra Leone has recorded a remarkable achievement on the continental stage as three young entrepreneurs secured places in the 2026 cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme, reaffirming the country’s growing footprint in Africa’s innovation and enterprise ecosystem.
Karim Kamara, Mattu Kaillie and Theophilipa Bangura emerged among thousands of applicants across Africa to earn selection into the highly competitive programme, widely regarded as one of the continent’s leading platforms for nurturing entrepreneurship and driving private sector development.
Karim Kamara is advancing initiatives in agriculture and agribusiness, Mattu Kaillie is contributing to innovation in health and health technology, while Theophilipa Bangura is making strides in education and training. Their selection highlights the diversity of sectors in which Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs are making an impact, while also reflecting the country’s expanding pool of youth-driven innovation.
Notably, two of the three beneficiaries are women, underscoring the increasing participation and leadership of women in Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial landscape. Their success aligns with broader continental trends that continue to demonstrate the growing influence of women-led enterprises in shaping Africa’s economic future.
Through the programme, the three entrepreneurs will benefit from a comprehensive support package that includes $15,000 in seed funding, intensive business training, mentorship and access to a robust pan-African network of business leaders and investors. The initiative is designed to transform promising ideas into scalable and sustainable enterprises capable of contributing to job creation and economic growth.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation officially unveiled its 2026 cohort on Sunday, March 22, 2026, following a rigorous, multi-stage selection process that attracted 265,529 applications from aspiring entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries. After extensive screening and evaluation, only 1,951 entrepreneurs were selected, reflecting the programme’s high standards and competitiveness.
According to details outlined in the Foundation’s selection report, the process began with an eligibility screening phase that eliminated incomplete, duplicate and ineligible applications, allowing 112,202 candidates to proceed. This was followed by a business assessment stage, which evaluated applicants’ entrepreneurial mindset, problem-solving abilities, market understanding and financial literacy. At the end of this phase, 60,530 applicants advanced.
The next stage involved a detailed expert review, where applications were assessed independently by multiple reviewers to ensure objectivity and fairness. Key evaluation criteria included business viability, scalability, innovation, financial sustainability and the capability of the founder. This phase further reduced the number of candidates to 26,600.
A fourth stage focusing on due diligence and quality assurance was then conducted, involving identity verification, compliance checks and additional expert assessments. This stage produced a shortlist of 5,000 top-performing candidates. From this pool, the final 1,951 entrepreneurs were selected based on overall performance, while also ensuring regional representation, sector diversity and geographic balance across the continent.
The Foundation reported that 85 percent of the selected entrepreneurs were rated as “excellent,” indicating a high level of readiness to launch and sustain successful businesses. The programme also maintained a strong commitment to inclusivity, with 51 percent of beneficiaries being women and 75 percent falling within the youth category of 18 to 35 years. Additionally, entrepreneurs from rural communities and persons living with disabilities were represented in the final cohort.
Addressing the selected entrepreneurs, Founder and Chairman of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony O. Elumelu, emphasized the critical role of entrepreneurship in Africa’s development.
“I believe that no one but Africans will develop Africa. The future of our continent lies in the hands of young men and women like you. It’s time to act, innovate, and lead,” he stated.
Since its inception, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has disbursed over $100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 entrepreneurs across Africa, contributing significantly to job creation, revenue generation and poverty reduction. The programme is anchored on the philosophy of Africapitalism, which promotes private sector-led development as a pathway to sustainable economic transformation.
For Sierra Leone, the success of Karim Kamara, Mattu Kaillie and Theophilipa Bangura represents more than an individual accomplishment. It signals the country’s increasing presence within Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and highlights the readiness of its young innovators to compete and excel at the highest level.
Their achievement also sends a strong message about the potential of Sierra Leone’s youth to drive national development through innovation, resilience and enterprise. As they embark on the next phase of their entrepreneurial journey, expectations remain high that their ventures will not only thrive but also contribute meaningfully to job creation, improved service delivery and inclusive economic growth.
The recognition of these three entrepreneurs stands as a moment of national pride and a reflection of the untapped potential within Sierra Leone’s emerging business landscape.
