Kemi Ajumobi 
Our ‘We’ve Got Men’ personality for this week is Mr Africapitalism, Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, popularly referred to as T.O.E. He is Africa’s leading investor and philanthropist. Tony is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings. He is also the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), which operates in 20 countries across Africa, the United Kingdom, France, the UAE. Not forgetting chairing Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, Transcorp.
He has never been one who rests on his oars. It is why at every given opportunity that makes business sense around the globe, he will be present. He will not only be present there, you will see it because he will post about it. He will post about it in a way you will feel you went along with him. I give it to his team, they are always on point. T.O.E makes business look like fun. You can tell he enjoys it as he takes his followers on social media through the journey. Back to his team, they understand their assignment.
Beyond his commercial acumen, T.O.E is often open to learn, especially from young people. I guess that is why he is loved by them and who knows, perhaps that is why he keeps reversing age, I mean, when you consistently have young folks around you, you begin to blend in with them.
T.O.E inspires the younger generation. He is their “guy” and somehow he understands them. I remember the young man Emmanuel Nduka, Co-Convener, LinkedIn Local-Nigeria, who had never hidden his admiration for him and finally met with him. It certainly was a great experience for him and marked a significant shift in his career. That is one thing T.O.E is known for, he likes to connect with youths and inspire them.
Little wonder his Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is clear proof that he is very optimistic about the youths who he sees as catalysts for Africa’s transformation. This laudable Foundation has become the hallmark for Africa’s sustainable development and a leading champion of youth entrepreneurship on the continent. Their mission is to empower young African entrepreneurs, through their flagship entrepreneurship programme, a 10-year $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 young African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries, and the progress report has been outstanding.
So, yes, T.O.E is all I have listed above and more, but most inspiring is that he is also a family man. 5 girls, two boys and a graceful wife.
At IWA, we admire his relationship with his daughters and though he loves to support causes that involve women, T.O.E will let you know any day, that it isn’t just about supporting causes that have to do with women because you are a woman, it is that the women must show their intelligence in carrying out their duties efficiently when the opportunity opens up for them to be elevated. He shared this with me a while back when IWA went to present him an award as he wasn’t around to receive his ‘He For She’ award during the conference.
There is more. If there is one thing T.O.E is known to be passionate about, it is Africapitalism. T.O.E believes that the private sector is the key enabler of economic and social wealth creation in Africa. “There is a better way to invest in Africa for a sustainable future that creates value for all.” He states. And at Heirs Holdings, they believe that Africapitalism is a call-to-action for businesses to make decisions that will increase economic and social wealth, and promote development in the communities and nations in which they operate.
So, whether it is business, investment, philanthropy, youth empowerment or family, T.O.E ticks the box for us at IWA. We wish him success in all he does.