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Tony Elumelu Foundation, UAE sign $6m pact to empower entrepreneurs

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A $6 million strategic partnership pact has been signed with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Office of Development Affairs and Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (an affiliate of Erth Zayed) to empower additional 1000 young African entrepreneurs by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF).

The benefiting entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries will receive business training, mentorship, access to networks, and non-refundable $5,000 seed capital from TEF and its partners.

The agreement, signed at the World Governments Summit, by TEF Founder, Tony Elumelu, and the Director General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, Mohamed Haji Al Khoori, showed both organisations’ shared commitment to fostering economic empowerment and entrepreneurship across Africa.

Through this partnership, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation will leverage the TEF’s expertise and execution ability in catalysing entrepreneurship through the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, which has pioneered business management training, mentorship, and capital funding for African entrepreneurs.

The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, a distinguished philanthropic organisation, affiliated with Erth Zayed, has a long-standing commitment to humanitarian and developmental projects, focusing on education, healthcare, economic empowerment and enterprise development.

According to Elumelu, empowering entrepreneurs is not just a moral imperative, but also a strategic investment in Africa’s future.

He said that by providing the necessary access to capital, mentorship, and resources, the partners will be are unlocking the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurial talent, eradicating poverty, driving self-reliance, and paving the way for inclusive growth and prosperity on the continent.

“This partnership between the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation not only reflects our shared vision of empowering Africa’s next generation of business leaders, but will also create a ripple effect of economic transformation across the continent”, Elumelu stated.

According to the statement from TEF, since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has provided up to 2.5 million young Africans with access to trainings on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over $100 million in direct funding to more than 21,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

“Through its initiatives, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has brought two million Africans out of poverty.

In addition to its self-funded programmes, TEF works with international partners including the EU, the UNDP, the ICRC and the Ikea Foundation.

“The partnership with the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, is the first with a Gulf based philanthropy and represents a further example of the strong investment, diplomatic and cultural ties between the GCC and Africa.

“The TEF is currently accepting applications from young entrepreneurs across Africa with innovative business ideas or existing businesses not older than five years on TEFConnect.

“African entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply to initiatives to receive training, mentorship, access to networks, and funding. Application deadline is March 1, 2025.”

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CPPE Tasks Govt to Fix Cost of Living Crisis Amid GDP Growth

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

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The Center for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE) tasks the government to ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare.

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

Dr Muda Yusuf, CEO of the CPPE, notes that despite the improvment in the GDP, the cost-of-living crisis remains a concern .

He said: ” While disinflation is underway and prices of some food items and manufactured products are easing, the social outcomes of economic reforms continue to weigh on households.

” It is therefore imperative for policymaking to prioritise targeted interventions to address the uneasiness around the cost of living and ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare—particularly for vulnerable groups.”

To consolidate the gains recorded in Q3 and unlock stronger, more inclusive growth, Dr Yusuf, said that the following policy interventions are critical:

Reduce Structural Bottlenecks

Address energy supply constraints, reduce logistics costs, improve port efficiency, and accelerate transport infrastructure development.

Mitigate the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Implement targeted social interventions and remove structural impediments that elevate consumer prices.

All tiers of government [local, state and federal] must sustain targeted interventions in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transportation and energy to fix the cost of living crisis.  

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Dangote Targets Nigeria Festive Season Monthly Supply of 1.5 billion litres of PMS

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery says that it has concluded arrangements to supply over 50 million litres of petrol per day into the Nigerian market this festive season (December to January).

The company said that the decision was taken to ensure that there is no shortage of the product during the festive season.

This translates to 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for the month of December.

The same amount of product will also be supplied in January 2026, it was added.

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, announced the plans.

Dangote said: “In line with our commitment to national well-being, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month.

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

We will supply another 1.5 billion litres in January and increase to 1.75 billion litres in February, which translates to over 60 million litres per day.”

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he stated that the facility currently has adequate stock and is producing between 40 and 45 million litres of PMS daily.

He added that the daily supply of 50 million litres should dispel long-standing claims that domestic refineries lack the capacity to meet national demand.

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Dangote Partners Honeywell International to Boost Refinery Capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day

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Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train petroleum refinery, has signed a landmark contract with U.S. industrial giant Honeywell International to execute a significant capacity upgrade that will boost the facility’s crude processing capability from the current 650,000 barrels per day to an ambitious 1.4 million barrels per day.

The multi-billion-dollar project, described by sources close to the deal as one of the largest refinery expansion initiatives globally in recent years, will involve the installation of advanced process units, automation systems, and energy-efficiency technologies supplied and integrated by Honeywell UOP and Honeywell Process Solutions.

Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, confirmed the partnership, stating: “This strategic collaboration with Honeywell will position the Dangote Refinery as one of the top five largest refineries in the world by capacity.

The upgrade will not only enhance our ability to meet Nigeria’s complete refined products demand but also establish the refinery as a major export hub for gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemicals across Africa and beyond.

”The expansion is expected to be implemented in phases, with key units including additional crude distillation, hydrocracking, and catalytic reforming modules.

Honeywell’s proprietary technologies are anticipated to improve yield of high-value products while reducing energy consumption and emissions.Upon completion, the 1.4 million bpd Dangote Refinery will surpass the current global top-tier facilities such as Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar Refinery (1.24 million bpd) and Paraguay’s planned 1.2 million bpd project, cementing its status as the world’s largest single-train refinery.

The project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs during the construction and commissioning phases and further reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

A spokesperson for Honeywell confirmed the award, saying the company was “honored to partner with Dangote on this transformative project that will reshape the African downstream landscape.

”Detailed timelines and the exact value of the contract were not disclosed, but industry analysts estimate the expansion could exceed $5–7 billion in total investment.

The statement said: Dangote Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Honeywell International Inc to support the next phase of expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

This collaboration will provide advanced technology and services that will enable the refinery to increase its processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, marking a major milestone in our long-term vision to build the world’s largest petroleum refining complex.

Through this agreement, Honeywell will supply specialised catalysts, equipment, and process technologies that will allow the refinery to process a broader slate of crude grades efficiently and to further enhance product quality and operational reliability.

Honeywell, a global Fortune 100 industrial and technology company, offers a wide portfolio of solutions across aviation, automotive, industrial automation, and advanced materials.

Honeywell’s division UOP has been a technology partner to Dangote since 2017, providing proprietary refining systems, catalyst regeneration equipment, high performance column trays, and heat exchanger technologies that support our best-in-class operations.

Dangote Group is also advancing its petrochemical footprint. As part of the wider collaboration, we are scaling our polypropylene capacity to 2.4 million metric tons annually using Honeywell’s Oleflex technology.

Polypropylene is a key industrial material widely used across packaging, manufacturing, and automotive applications.In addition to refining expansion, Dangote Group is progressing with the next phase of its fertiliser growth plan in Nigeria. We will increase our urea production capacity from 3 million metric tons to 9 million metric tons annually.

The existing plant consists of two trains of 1.5 million metric tons each. The expansion will add four additional trains to meet growing demand for high-quality fertiliser across Africa and global markets.

Dangote Group remains fully committed to delivering world-class industrial capacity, strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, and driving sustainable economic growth through long-term investment, innovation, and strategic global partnerships.

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