The President of Gabon, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, conferred the nation’s highest honor, Commander in the National Order of Gabonese Merit, on Tony Elumelu, recognizing his outstanding contributions to Africa’s economic development, youth entrepreneurship, and infrastructure growth.
Gabon’s President, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, praised Tony Elumelu’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in Africa, describing him as a visionary entrepreneur and committed friend of Gabon. Nguema honored Elumelu with the Commander in the National Order of Gabonese Merit award, acknowledging his Foundation’s and UBA Group’s impactful investments in Africa. Elumelu expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Gabon’s development agenda.
“I am truly humbled by this honour. It is a reflection not just of my personal journey, but of a shared belief – that African-led solutions, African entrepreneurs, and African institutions will shape the future of this continent. Gabon holds enormous potential, and I am proud that the Tony Elumelu Foundation and UBA Group can play a role in unlocking it,” Elumelu said.
“This is more than a medal – it is a reminder of what we can achieve together as Africans,” Elumelu stated adding that, “At UBA and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we remain committed to building bridges, not just between nations, but between ambition and opportunity.”
The recognition comes at a crucial time for Gabon, as the country accelerates its economic recovery and prioritises inclusive growth under the new leadership.
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Elumelu’s engagement focuses on two key pillars of Infrastructure financing which is essential for long-term economic transformation and Youth entrepreneurship, championed through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which offers training, mentorship, and $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital to young Gabonese and African entrepreneurs each year.
The award also highlights the strengthening of financial partnership between Gabon and the UBA, which has a strong presence across the continent and is a key driver of financial inclusion and development.
Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, his family owned investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa, through long-term investments in strategic sectors of the African economy, including financial services, hospitality, power, energy, technology and healthcare.
As Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Transcorp, Tony Elumelu leads two of Africa’s most influential organizations. UBA provides banking services to millions of customers globally, while Transcorp’s subsidiaries drive growth in Nigeria’s energy and hospitality sectors. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Elumelu has identified and supported 18,500 entrepreneurs, creating a digital ecosystem of over one million Africans as part of his $100m commitment to African youth development.
Tony’s businesses and the Foundation are inspired by his economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.
In 2020, in recognition of his business leadership and economic empowerment of young African entrepreneurs, Tony was named in the TIME100 Most Influential People in the World, and recognised with Belgium’s oldest royal order.
CAPTION:
President, Republic of Gabon, His Excellency Brice Oligui Nguema and Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr. Tony Elumelu, during the conferment of the Gabonese Highest National Honour, Commander in the National Order of Gabonese Merit’ on Mr Elumelu for his contributions to the Gabonese and African economies, by President Nguema in Libreville
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