President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has lauded Tony Elumelu for being among the 100 most influential people of 2020.
 
In a congratulatory message to Elumelu, Dangote said: “The Amere handshake says a lot about Tony Elumelu. His gritty grip underlines his charming, tenacious personality: a man who hardly backs down from any challenge. The same engaging qualities have propelled him from a modest beginning in Nigeria to becoming chair of the United Bank of Africa, and one of the most innovative and ambitious business leaders of his generation.

“He is a leading proponent of ‘Africapitalism’ – a belief that Africa’s private sector can and must play a leading role in the continent’s development through long-term investments, as well as entrepreneurship and regional connectivity. After deepening the financial market in Africa, he has found an equally-important niche: giving a voice of hope to millions of youths across Africa. 

“Tony has harnessed Africa’s youth bulge to catalyze development and protect the future, committing to investing $5,000 each in 1,000 young entrepreneurs per year across 54 countries in Africa. Having come so far, Tony still forges on, striking a fine balance between personal satisfaction and societal impact.”
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