As part of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum, entrepreneurs from Ghana and other African countries have been offered a marketing platform to exhibit their products for the benefit of the continent.

Known as the UBA Marketplace, the foundation hopes to connect over one thousand businesses on the continent to boost intra African trade.

To this end, UBA Ghana is supporting Ghanaian businesses to take advantage of the initiative which is happening from 26th July in Abuja Nigeria.

Head of Corporate Communication and Marketing at UBA Ghana, Daniel Adjei said “We're hosting entrepreneurs and this year we thought we can have the UBA marketplace within the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum as something to add to the program. We're ready to sponsor Ghanaian entrepreneurs whether you're a customer of the bank or not it doesn't matter, just apply and if we find your business worthy.”

He added, “It's about network and we have more than 50 countries assembling on one platform at Abuja so we're happy to receive everyone onto the new initiative.”

This year, over 216,000 applications were received, an increase from last year’s 151,000. Nearly 90,000 were submitted by female entrepreneurs, an increase of 45%, illustrating the Foundation’s strategy to achieve greater gender balance. 

The selected entrepreneurs will each receive non- refundable $5,000 of seed capital, access to mentors, and a 12-week business training programme, directly focused on the needs of African entrepreneurs. 

“On July 26 – 27 2019, they will gather at the TEF Entrepreneurship Forum, the largest annual gathering of African entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurship ecosystem on the continent.

Our entrepreneurs are hungry to effect change. We know we are only scratching the surface, we see the depth of entrepreneurial talent, and that all of us – government, business indeed African society, must harness to transform our economies and livelihoods. We must rally together to empower them and accelerate the change we want on the continent” TEF Founder, Tony O Elumelu said.