The promoter of “Africapitalism” and leading businessman in Africa is special guest at the International economic conference holding in Yaounde Cameroon 17-18 May 2016.
Cameroon will tomorrow Tuesday May 18, host top personalities, leading figures in politics, the economy, the business world and the international society, during the economic conference. Holding under the distinguished patronage of H.E Paul Biya President of the Republic of Cameroon, the theme of the conference is “Invest in Cameroon, land of attractiveness”. The event designed to showcase the huge investment opportunities Cameroon offers is thus the opportunity for key political, financial and economic players to hold constructive discussions on the country’s development projects.
One of the special guests at the event is African business leader and philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu. The Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation beliefs that Africans can themselves create dynamic and effective strategies to counter the challenges faced by the continent. Elumelu holds that with the right support, entrepreneurs can be empowered to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s
prosperity and social development.
Speaking at a forum on moving Africa forward, organized by NEPAD, the
entrepreneur said “let us remember to keep passing the baton to others” in reference to championing young African entrepreneurs across the continent. Through his Tony Elumelu Foundation, he has
endowed $100m in support of young entrepreneurs with start up businesses.
His
presence at the invest in Cameroon conference is no doubt the opportunity for
this business mogul who has repeatedly said “I would rather invest in Africa than elsewhere in the world because the
return on my investment in Africa is much higher than elsewhere in the world. I
see myself as an Africapitalist and everything I do is guided by this
philosophy” to provide concrete and pragmatic solutions to further improve
Cameroon.
For one
who holds Africa’s development close to his heart and especially pays attention
to the agricultural sector, he has been quoted as saying “if we transform the agriculture sector, we will transform the African
continent”. He believes that prioritizing and transforming this sector is
not just a moral imperative but is a smart business strategy that will save
lives, unlock jobs, grow economies and stabilize regions. Seeing the glass as
half full, Elumelu advocates for public and private sector collaboration,
recommending the adoption of an “Africapitalist” approach to achieve the
transformation and growth needed to meet the increasing demand for safe and sustainable
food. Africapitalism according to him promotes the private sector’s commitment
to Africa’s development through long-term investment in strategic sectors of
the economy that creates economic prosperity and social wealth. The attributed philanthropist and African
billionaire, is a stellar businessman with specialized training in economics,
seeking to change the economic standing of Africa and hopefully for Cameroon.
Claudette Chin
