ENTREPRENEURSHIP : The Tony Elumelu Foundation selects 30 Cameroonian entrepreneurs for funding in 2026
(LVDE) – In a context marked by rising youth unemployment and the search for sustainable economic solutions, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is strengthening its commitment to African entrepreneurship. For the 2026 edition of its programme, 30 Cameroonian entrepreneurs have been selected to benefit from a structured support package including training, mentorship and funding to be deployed, with the aim of boosting job creation and economic transformation.
La voix des entreprises 
The new cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme highlights the growing scale of this pan-African initiative dedicated to private sector development. For the 2026 edition, 3,200 entrepreneurs from across the continent have been selected to join this support scheme. Among them, 30 Cameroonian project leaders are listed among the chosen beneficiaries.
At this stage, these entrepreneurs will undergo a structured pathway that includes intensive training, personalised coaching and integration into a continental business network. The seed funding, amounting to 5,000 dollars per project, will be disbursed after this preparatory phase, in line with the programme’s model, which ties funding to the successful completion of the training stages.
The selected projects span a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, trade, digital services, fintech, as well as energy and environmental solutions. These high-impact sectors are considered essential for supporting inclusive growth, addressing the concrete needs of populations, and strengthening the diversification of Cameroon’s economy.
Addressing the beneficiaries of this new cohort, Tony Elumelu praised their resilience and ability to persevere in often challenging environments. He emphasized that their selection is primarily based on their potential to drive economic transformation and their commitment to building sustainable businesses.
In Cameroon, the programme’s impact is already significant. Since its launch in 2015, nearly 896 entrepreneurs have been supported, generating over 20 million dollars in cumulative revenue and contributing to the creation of more than 58,000 direct and indirect jobs. These results confirm the country’s position as one of the Foundation’s key impact hubs in Central Africa.
Across the CEMAC region, the entrepreneurial momentum supported by the Foundation continues to gain ground. Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Congo, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea have also recorded several hundred beneficiaries, reflecting the gradual rise of a regional entrepreneurial ecosystem that still faces structural challenges, particularly in terms of access to finance.
With a total envelope of 100 million dollars over ten years, the programme aims to support 10,000 African entrepreneurs. It is built on a model combining training, mentorship and non-repayable seed capital to maximise the success rate of supported businesses.
Through this new selection, the Tony Elumelu Foundation reaffirms its ambition to make entrepreneurship a key driver of growth in Africa, leveraging the potential of young talents to foster sustainable economic transformation.
Esther Grace
À propos de l'auteur
Raphael Mforlem 
