By: Joseph Momoh Reporter (D.S)
Three young Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs have been selected for the 2026 Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme, securing seed funding of $15,000 each alongside mentorship and pan-African networking opportunities aimed at accelerating business growth.
The beneficiaries are Karim Kamara, Mattu Kaillie, and Theophilipa Bangura. The TEF said the 2026 cohort was drawn from 265,529 applicants across Africa, with 1,951 entrepreneurs ultimately chosen.
According to the Foundation, the 2026 cohort was announced on Sunday, March 22, 2026, following a multi-stage selection process. TEF reported that the initial screening narrowed applicants to 112,202, followed by a business assessment that reduced the pool to 60,530. An expert review then produced a shortlist of 26,600, before a due diligence and quality assurance phase resulted in a final shortlist of 5,000. The ultimate selection of 1,951 was based on factors including business viability, scalability, innovation, and the capability of founders.
TEF also stated that 85% of selected entrepreneurs were rated *excellent. The programme’s cohort is 51% women and includes founders aged 18 to 35, with participation from *rural communities and persons living with disabilities.
With two of the three Sierra Leonean beneficiaries being women, the selection highlights the growing role of women in the country’s entrepreneurship landscape and broader private-sector development.
In a statement addressed to the selected participants, Tony O. Elumelu, Founder and Chairman of TEF, emphasized the importance of African-led development, saying: “I believe that no one but Africans will develop Africa. The future of our continent lies in the hands of young men and women like you. It’s time to act, innovate, and lead.”
TEF further said that since inception, it has provided more than $100 million in seed capital to over 24,000 entrepreneurs across Africa, guided by its Africapitalism philosophy which promotes private-sector development as a route to sustainable transformation.
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