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Tony Elumelu Foundation and GIZ partner to Empower Young Entrepreneurs across East and West Africa
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The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading entrepreneurship philanthropy, is partnering with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the German Government’s Agency for International Cooperation.
GIZ will support the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme to empower 210 young African entrepreneurs, focusing specifically on female entrepreneurs and tech-enabled businesses. The Entrepreneurship Programme of TEF was launched in 2015, having supported more than 4,000 entrepreneurs with seed capital pan-African wide. The announcement is coming ahead of the largest gathering of African entrepreneurs – The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum – which will hold on October 25, 2018 in Lagos, Nigeria. The Forum will celebrate the 2018 cohort of the Foundation’s beneficiaries.
The joint partnership will equip more African entrepreneurs with the skills needed to build strong and sustainable businesses, while providing them with access to seed funding. The partnership will be implemented by Make-IT in Africa, a programme GIZ is implementing on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Make-IT already works in close collaboration with more than 20 corporate and financing partners, social enterprises, hubs, and networks to support an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs, to enable better access to finance, markets, and skills.
By signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 8th August 2018, GIZ and TEF strengthened the entrepreneurial ecosystem to support African entrepreneurs. GIZ and TEF share the common understanding that young companies, especially from the technology sector, have the potential to radically transform the business landscape in Africa and are key drivers of sustainable development.
Parminder Vir, OBE, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, said: “The partnership with GIZ ensures that more entrepreneurs across Africa will access seed capital, as well as the world-class TEF proprietary online training and mentoring programme. Since the launch of the programme, we have received over 300,000 applications, and we are actively looking at leveraging our success, so we can greatly exceed our own commitment to 1,000 entrepreneurs annually over 10 years.”
Dr. Thomas Kirsch, the Country Director of GIZ Nigeria, said:” Employment is the key measure for socio-economic development in Nigeria. Entrepreneurs and start-ups have the capacity to facilitate job creation in a way that wasn’t imaginable ten years ago. We’ve entered a new era where initiatives by the German government, such as Make-IT in Africa, could be instrumental in empowering youth by addressing the skills gap and connecting them to markets, corporates, and financing opportunities. We are encouraged by this partnership with TEF and the opportunity to create lasting impact in the lives of many.”
The list of beneficiaries are published on the Foundation’s website.
Additional Information for journalists:
The TEF-GIZ partnership is based on:
· A commitment of EUR 1 million by the German Government (BMZ), via the Make IT Programme, to empower 210 young and/or female tech entrepreneurs in the sectors of agriculture, energy, and health across Africa through capacity development training.
· Leveraging the ground-breaking capacity building, training, and mentoring approach of the Tony Elumelu Foundation through its TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, which enables entrepreneurs to acquire management skills and establish long-term partnerships with peers, business and financing partners.
· The growth of a network of African and European start-ups that enables sharing of lessons learnt, new partnerships, and linkages to entrepreneurial “ecosystems” in Africa.
· The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is the $ 100 million flagship programme of the Foundation. It identified 10,000 African start-ups and entrepreneurs with ideas that have the potential to transform the African continent in the last 10 years. For TEF, the goal is to invest in the generation of at least 1,000,000 new jobs and to contribute $ 10 billion in new annual revenues across Africa. The Foundation’s investment and commitment to advancing entrepreneurship is predicated on the belief that Africa’s entrepreneurs hold the key to unlocking the potential of the continent and to facilitating its transformation.
Other developmental organisations that have partnered with the Tony Elumelu Foundation include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), L’Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
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HabariPay Launches Maiden “HabariPay Impact Report 2025”, Showcasing Its Journey, Business Evolution, and Contributions to Digital Payments
HabariPay Limited, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”), has unveiled its maiden HabariPay Impact Report 2025, providing stakeholders with a comprehensive account of the company’s evolution, innovation journey, business performance, and impact on the digital payments landscape.The report captures HabariPay’s transformation from a newly established fintech venture into one of Nigeria’s leading payment infrastructure providers, highlighting the milestones, strategic decisions, and investments that have shaped its growth. It showcases the company’s contributions to enabling digital commerce, supporting businesses, strengthening payment infrastructure, and expanding financial access through technology-driven solutions.The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 also highlights the company’s strong financial and operational performance, the growth of the Squad platform, and the development of infrastructure that powers payment acceptance, switching, transfers, merchant services, and value-added solutions. The publication further explores the role of innovation, talent development, and ecosystem partnerships in driving the company’s success.Speaking on the launch of the report, the Managing Director of HabariPay, Eduofon Japhet, said: “As a technology-driven company, we believe that impact extends beyond financial performance. It is reflected in the businesses we enable, the merchants we support, the infrastructure we build, and the opportunities we create for the next generation of innovators. The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 captures this journey and demonstrates our commitment to creating sustainable value for customers, partners, and the broader economy.”She further added: “The HabariPay Impact Report 2025 represents more than a reflection on our achievements; it is a testament to the deliberate investments we have made in building sustainable payment infrastructure, empowering businesses, fostering innovation, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our capabilities, deepening our impact, and shaping the future of digital payments through technology-driven solutions that are secure, scalable, and inclusive.”The report also showcases HabariPay’s investments in innovation through initiatives such as the Take on Squad Hackathon and the Squad Hackademy, both of which are helping to develop future technology talent and accelerate the creation of practical solutions to real-world challenges.Looking ahead, the publication outlines HabariPay’s vision for the future, including continued investment in payment infrastructure, merchant solutions, digital innovation, and intelligent technologies that will shape the future of financial services.
To access the HabariPay Impact Report 2025, please click the below: https://squadco.com/impact-report/About HabariPayHabariPay Ltd is the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of the largest financial services institutions in Africa with direct and indirect investments in a network of operating entities located in 10 countries across Africa and the United Kingdom.Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), our goal is to support SMEs, micro merchants, large corporations, and other fintechs (Tech Stars) with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving digital economy and expand beyond their current market reach. HabariPay’s solutions include Squad, a full-scale digital payments toolkit to make in-person and online payments simpler, HabariPay Storefront, an e-commerce website to facilitate online purchases, Value-Added Services to help merchants access cost-effective and flexible airtime and data bundles to run their businesses, as well as a switching infrastructure that enables tech-focused businesses to optimise cost and make transactions more efficient.HabariPay’s contributions to Accelerating Digital Acceptance in Africa have not gone unnoticed–it received Mastercard’s Innovative Mobile Payment Solution Award at TIA 2022 for its innovative payment solution, SquadPOS.
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ZENITHBANKPARTNERSLAWMA,LASWATOCOMMEMORATEWORLDENVIRONMENT DAY 2026 WITH TWO-PHASE LAGOS CLEAN-UP
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ZENITH BANK RENEWS COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN WITH EDUCATION, INCLUSION & OPPORTUNITY AT THE CORE
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Much more than commemorating the annual Children’s Day marked every May 27, Zenith Bank Plc is championing thenarrativethatchildrenarethetrueleadersoftomorrow.TheBankhasdeepeneditsinvestmentincarefullycuratedinitiativesthatelevatechildrenacrosseducation,financialliteracy,health,digitalinclusion,andsocialprotection,building a generation equipped to thrive and lead. For Zenith Bank, every child matters, and the Bank’s footprint reflectsa deliberate, pan-African strategy to nurture potential from the earliest age.Zenith Bank has been the financial institution partner to Kiddies Corner on Inspiration 92.3FM Lagos for over threeyears, anchoring the Tuesday edition and Zenith Financial Literacy Friday show. The programme blends spelling beecontestswithfinancialliteracyquestions,creatingawarenessandonboardingchildrenintotheZenithChildren’sAccount (ZECA). This partnership came alive at the Inspiration FM Children’s Day Carnival on Saturday, May 23, 2026,whereZenithBankhostedover1,000childrenandtheirparents,celebratingZECAwinnerswithgames,skits,andZenith Bank branded gifts.The Bank’s Zenith Financial Literacy Week, held quarterly, takes this mission into select schools across all 36 statesandtheFCT.Studentsaretrainedonsavings,budgeting,basicinvestments,anditsretailproducts,withthetopperformer in each school awarded N50,000. Complementing this is the Bank’s nationwide Financial Literacy ProgramundertheCBN-mandatedGlobalMoneyWeek,whichin2025alonereached3,622studentsacross22LGAs,deploying 137 bank employee volunteers as educators.In alignment with the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, Zenith Bankhasdonatedstate-of-the-artICTcentresandcomputersystemstoschoolsanduniversitiesnationwide,includingaComputerCentretoBamainaAcademy,Dutse,JigawaState.Itstransformativeinterventionsincludefullyequippedlibraries,vocationalfacilities,andlarge-scaleschoolrenovations,fromOjotaSecondarySchoolandVictoriaIslandSecondary School in Lagos to Hugallawa Primary School in Jigawa. Targeted financial support further breaks barrierswith N1 million cash donation to Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele, supporting girl-child education; infrastructureupgrades at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School; a N1 million scholarship endowment for St. Francis CatholicSecondary School; and support for the North-East Children’s Fund to aid education in conflict-affected communities.Through its Primary Healthcare Centre Initiative across all 774 LGAs, Zenith Bank educates parents on early childhoodsavings during routine visits, linking health and financial well-being. The “PAD-A-QUEEN” Initiative commemorates theInternational Day of the Girl Child, reaching5,000 girls in 10 schools withsanitary pads, hygiene kits, and menstrualhealth education to keep girls in school and promote SDGs 3, 4, and 5.The Bank’s compassion extends to the most vulnerable. At Bethesda Home and School for the Blind, Idi Oro, Lagos,Zenith donatedbraille materials,food, and toiletries.For the2026 InternationalDay forStreet Children,it partneredwithBosco Child Protection Centre on medical check-ups, food, clothing, and counseling. Annual Christmas Charity Visits toorphanagesdelivercash,toys,andessentialsupplies,whilesupportfortheSmileandShineChildrenFoundation’sStrive Conference empowers over 2,000 adolescents with life skills and leadership training.Commenting on the Bank’s intentionality towards the development of children, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, GroupManaging Director/CEO, ZenithBank Plc, said, “AtZenith Bank, weare deliberate about initiativesthat elevate childrenbecausetheyarenotjustourfuture,theyareourpresentresponsibility.AsWhitneyHoustonsopoignantlysang,‘Ibelievethechildrenarethefuture,teachthemwellandletthemleadtheway.’Thatisthephilosophydrivingourinvestmentsineducation,financialliteracy,health,anddigitalinclusion.FromKiddiesCornertoICTcentres,fromPHCs to orphanages, we are teaching them well, equipping them early, and giving them the tools to lead. Zenith Bankrenews its commitment to every Nigerian child, to nurture their dreams, protect their dignity, and secure their tomorrow.”Championing youth expression, the Zenith Annual Youth Parade, hosted by the Bank for 19 years, stands as a flagshipCorporate Social Responsibilityinitiative. Bringing togetherthousands of childrenand teenagers in avibrant showcaseof unity and discipline, the parade has remained dedicated since inception to the vital mission of supporting, nurturing, -
andempoweringtheNigerianchild,reinforcingtheBank’sbeliefthatleadershipislearnedearlythroughteamwork,confidence, and celebration of young Nigerian identity.ForZenithBank,Children’sDayismorethanadateonthecalendar.Itisadailypledgetoempower,protect,andprepareNigeria’schildrenforleadership.Fromclassroomstocommunities, the Bank’s initiatives are teaching them welland letting them lead the way because the future belongs to children who are equipped today.

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