Heirs Holdings Chairman Tony Elumelu has reflected on the early days of his career, revealing that he got his first opportunity in a role he was not fully qualified for because someone decided to take a chance on him.
Elumelu shared the experience while discussing the need to create more opportunities for young African talent, saying access to opportunities should not depend on luck.
“I started my career in a job I wasn’t qualified for. Someone took a chance on me. Everything I have built since has been to repay it,” he said.
The businessman acknowledged that he was fortunate to have someone give him an opportunity, but argued that young Africans should not have to depend on good fortune to get their first break.
“I was lucky. But luck should not be the only way an African talent gets a chance,” Elumelu said.
“Our job is to democratise that luck!”
He also highlighted Africa’s position in the global artificial intelligence race, noting that the continent currently accounts for less than one percent of the world’s AI computing capacity and about three percent of its AI talent.
According to Elumelu, the biggest obstacle is not a shortage of capable Africans but the continent’s inadequate electricity supply.
“The constraint is not talent. It is electricity. We leapfrogged landlines with mobile. We will not leapfrog electricity,” he said.
He stressed that Africa needs to address its electricity challenges urgently if it wants to fully participate in the ongoing digital and artificial intelligence revolution.
For Elumelu, the AI race is therefore closely connected to Africa’s ability to generate and provide enough electricity.
“The race for AI in Africa is also a race for megawatts,” he said.
Turning to young people, the businessman encouraged them not to wait until they feel completely qualified before pursuing opportunities.
“My closing advice: To the youth in the room: start before you are qualified. I did,” he said.
Elumelu also called on investors and partners to support African entrepreneurs beyond the initial stages of their businesses.
He pointed to the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s seed-capital programme as evidence that young African entrepreneurs can attract investment and build viable businesses.
“To the investors and partners in the audience: @TonyElumeluFDN seed capital has proved that young African entrepreneurs are investible,” he said.
He then urged investors to work with the foundation to help promising businesses expand.
“Now co-invest with us to take them to scale,” he added.
Elumelu has previously spoken about how his early experiences shaped his approach to business. On September 11, he recalled his days working as a photocopier salesperson, saying lessons from that period have continued to influence how he approaches entrepreneurship and business.
His latest comments again highlighted his belief that opportunity, investment, infrastructure and access to capital are critical to unlocking Africa’s young talent.
