In my OP-ED on the Cop27 climate negotiations in Egypt, I emphasised the unrelenting impact of the climate crisis on communities across Africa highlighting the famine tragedy in east Africa. Read here. https://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/news/david-miliband-tony-o-elumelu-cop27-is-over-africa-cannot-wait-any-longer-for-climate-action
Africa is the victim, not the author of this crisis. But Africa can and should act. Today, I am pleased to announce that the Tony Elumelu Foundation is working to strengthen climate resilience starting with East Africa, and scaling to the rest of Africa, to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Alongside our partners at UNICEF, Generation Unlimited and IKEA Foundation, we have just launched an inaugural Green Entrepreneurship Programme with an initial sum of USD$3.5 million, to empower, train, fund, mentor, coach and capacitise 120 young African entrepreneurs in this pilot phase – 50% will be women – with businesses in Kenya’s high-impact green sectors.
We know the critical role that green entrepreneurship and agripreneurship play in driving innovative solutions to environmental issues and are keen to empower our young ones across Africa, starting with Kenya, to deploy innovative solutions to the climate crisis.
This initiative will empower young Africans with entrepreneurial skills that are needed to accelerate the shift towards toward green economy. Working with great partners IKEA Foundation, and UNICEF Generation Unlimited we will create new jobs, generate employment, improve livelihoods, help eradicate poverty and address climate issues in Africa.
Our collective goal is to see young entrepreneurs in Africa build sustainable businesses for themselves and generate viable green jobs, so that our young ones are not left behind in the inevitable green economy that the world will transitioning to.
Climate change is not just a threat to our future, it is also a threat to our present and there is no time to wait for climate action in Africa.
Thank you to UNICEF, Generation Unlimited IKEA Foundation, for believing in the future of young Africans and green economy for Africa.
