By KAH Patience
Some 30 young entrepreneurs across Cameroon are among the thousands of winners of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) 2026 cohort to benefit from a grant of 5000 dollars each.
The winners were announced Sunday March 22 during an event in Abuja Nigeria which marled the 12th TEF Entrepreneurship Programme Selection Announcement.
The announcement opens fresh doors for business owners across the continent to access funding, training, and mentorship.
The announcement was made today by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, and Co-Founder, Dr. Awele V. Elumelu.
The ceremony was streamed in four languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic, reflecting the pan-African scope of the initiative.
This year, 3,200 entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of over 265,000 applicants across Africa, with Cameroon once again featuring prominently among beneficiary countries.
Collectively, the new cohort will receive $16 million in seed capital funding through the 2026 cycle of the programme.
"We Chose You Because You Kept Going"
Making the announcement on his birthday, Tony Elumelu delivered a message of resilience and unwavering belief in Africa's entrepreneurial spirit.
"We did not choose you because your path was easy. We chose you because you kept going when it wasn't," he stated.
Each selected entrepreneur will receive $5,000 in non-refundable seed funding, complemented by business training, mentorship, and access to a continent-wide network of peers and investors.
Cameroon As Pillar Programme
Cameroon remains one of the Foundation's strongest impact markets in Central Africa. Since TEF's inception, Foundation-backed businesses in the country have generated over $20 million in revenue, created more than 58,000 jobs, and supported over 800 entrepreneurs across diverse sectors from agriculture and fintech to waste management, energy, cleantech, and education.
For many young Cameroonians navigating a challenging economic environment, the TEF programme represents far more than funding. It is a pathway to stability, growth, and independence.
Central Africa's Broader Impact
Beyond Cameroon, the programme continues to make inroads across the CEMAC region. According to figures released by the Foundation, TEF-supported entrepreneurs in Chad have generated over $17.8 million in revenue and created more than 53,000 jobs, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen nearly $9 million in revenue and over 37,000 jobs created from Foundation-backed businesses.
Together, these numbers underscore the growing role of entrepreneurship in shaping Central Africa's economic future, with Cameroon emerging as one of the region's leading hubs for TEF-supported enterprise.
More Than Funding, System Of Opportunity
Since its launch, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered thousands of entrepreneurs across Africa, helping them build businesses, create jobs, and strengthen their communities.
At a time when youth unemployment and economic uncertainty remain pressing concerns across the continent, programmes like the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme are playing a critical role in supporting self-employment, driving local business growth, and reducing dependence on shrinking formal job markets.
For the 30 Cameroonians named in today's cohort and the 3,200 across Africa this is not just support. It is a chance to build something lasting.
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