Google, Tony Elumelu Foundation launched fellowship programme to help African entrepreneurs

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and Google have announced the launch of the Google.org Fellowship, which will provide one million more Africans access to the TEFConnect platform, which connects entrepreneurs with customised tools, market relationships, coaches, and investors.

The announcement was made during a TEF headquarters ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, attended by a number of African political and economic heavyweights. This is the first Google.org Fellowship in Africa, and nine full-time Google workers will collaborate with the foundation to develop and create an updated version of the TEFConnect platform, including software engineers, UI/UX researchers, and policy experts.

TEFConnect is home to over one million African entrepreneurs and provides small firms with personalised tools, market relationships, and access to coaches and investors.

“We are pleased to continue to share our unique ability and platform to identify, train, mentor and fund young entrepreneurs across Africa with like-minded institutions like Google.org who share in our commitment to empower young African entrepreneurs. It will be exciting to see the ways in which the refreshed TEFConnect platform will continue to provide a space for growth, personal development, and meaningful exchange for African entrepreneurs,” said the co-founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr Awele V Elumelu.

Jen Carter, Google.org’s global head of technology, expressed her joy at the start of the organization’s first Google.org Fellowship in Africa.

“The Tony Elumelu Foundation does so much to empower African entrepreneurs, and we are thrilled to be able to lend the expertise of Googlers to expand the reach of the TEFConnect platform,” she said.