Time Magazine Lists Nigerian Billionaire Tony Elumelu among 100 Most Influential People in the World

The Time 100 is a list that celebrates people making impact in their respective field. Financial expert, entrepreneur, philanthropist and billionaire Tony Elumelu is one of 5 Africans on the list. As part of his profile for Time 100, fellow billionaire, Alike Dangote wrote a tribute about Tony for Time Magazine. Here’s an excerpt of what Aliko Dangote said about Elumelu: “A mere handshake says a lot about Tony Elumelu. His gritty grip underlines his charming, tenacious personality: a man who hardly backs down from any challenge. The same engaging qualities have propelled him from a modest beginning in Nigeria to becoming chair of the United Bank of Africa, and one of the most innovative and ambitious business leaders of his generation. He is a leading proponent of “Africapitalism,” a belief that Africa’s private sector can and must play a leading role in the continent’s development through long-term investments, as well as entrepreneurship and regional connectivity. After deepening the financial market in Africa, he has found an equally important niche: giving a voice of hope to millions of youths across Africa. Tony has harnessed Africa’s youth bulge to catalyze development and protect the future, committing to investing $5,000 each in 1,000 young entrepreneurs per year across 54 countries in Africa. Having come so far, Tony still forges on, striking a fine balance between personal satisfaction and societal impact.”

SOURCE: TIME MAGAZINE