“I Was Just 27 When Opportunity Changed My Life” – Tony Elumelu

• Tony Elumelu said his early leadership role during Nigeria’s banking reforms in the 1990s inspired his passion for youth empowerment.

• He noted that his work through the Tony Elumelu Foundation stems from his own journey, as he now invests in young Africans just as someone once invested in him.

Chairman of Heirs Holdings and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu, has shared how an early career break shaped his success.

At 27, he was appointed branch manager of the defunct AllStates Trust Bank, a rare responsibility for someone so young which he described as a turning point in his journey.

“At that time, few believed a 27-year-old could successfully lead a bank branch. But that opportunity changed the entire course of my life. It gave me confidence. It gave me a platform. Most importantly, it gave me perspective,” he said.

Tony Elumelu said his early leadership role during Nigeria’s banking reforms in the 1990s inspired his passion for youth empowerment.

He noted that his work through the Tony Elumelu Foundation stems from his own journey, as he now invests in young Africans just as someone once invested in him.

“When I was 27, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime: I became a branch manager at AllStates Trust Bank, a young bank in Nigeria,” Elumelu wrote.

“Banking was beginning to change the country, it was the sector to be in, ripe for transformation, ready for disruption, for democratisation.

“At that time, few believed a 27-year-old could successfully lead a bank branch. But that opportunity changed the entire course of my life.

“It gave me confidence. It gave me a platform. Most importantly, it gave me perspective.

“That’s why today, I am passionate about giving young people the same chance I was given. Because I know what’s possible when someone believes in you early.

“This belief is at the heart of everything we do at The Tony Elumelu Foundation. It’s why we invest in young African entrepreneurs – because someone once invested in me.

“My journey didn’t begin with capital. It began with trust,” he added.