Shared recently on my LinkedIn page how I became a bank manager at just 27.

I got a lot of questions. One stood out: How could someone so young handle such responsibility?

Here are 3 lessons from my journey.
At 27, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime: branch manager at AllStates Trust Bank, Nigeria, by HRM Ebitimi Banigo.

Many doubted a young man could lead a bank branch. That chance changed the entire course of my life.

It gave me confidence, a platform, and perspective.

Yesterday, @TranscorpGroup held its 19th Annual General Meeting.

In 2011, @Heirs_Holdings became a significant investor in Transcorp. We saw extraordinary value, an ability to turn around a national asset, to make good on the promise to Transcorp’s more than 300,000 shareholders. It has been a remarkable transformation, implementing a robust execution strategy and strong corporate governance. For @Heirs_Holdings, business success and good governance go hand in hand.

I am and will always be a strong advocate for inclusion in every area of life. I have witnessed first-hand the impact of investing in, working with, and learning from women.
 
My first influence was my mother, whose experience as an entrepreneur served as my initiation into a world where hard work translates to success.
As a father of five girls, I am also deeply influenced by the responsibility of fatherhood.  My wife, Awele, and I, are not only shaping our daughters' futures, but also showing them what is possible through hard work, resilience, and discipline.

Leadership is a mindset not a title. I learnt this very early on in my career and today, before we get engulfed in the day’s activities, I thought to share the principles of leadership that have guided me thus far.

I often get asked about leadership – How do I learn leadership? Do I take a course, read a book or get a mentor? Are leaders born or are leaders made? My answer remains that regardless of what path you decide to take, your personal leadership style must be cultivated by your values and driven by your vision.

Yesterday, I spoke to a group of brilliant teens at the @RCCGWorldWide TEAP Zone Teens Career Conference. I told my story as Tony Elumelu, the business man and the father.  I have learnt a lot of life lessons on this journey, and I shared with the teens - hoping to inspire them as they move to the next stage of their lives.
I didn’t become the Chairman of UBA Group and Transcorp Group because I had wealthy parents or I went to the best schools, or because I was the most intelligent in my state or country. Your circumstances today must not define your future.

We all know the importance of power in Nigeria. We all experience the consequences of power deficit – the implications for our people, our businesses, our schools, hospitals, and institutions – our national destiny. Therefore, I am so proud that today we convened key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Vice President @ProfOsinbajo, at the commissioning of Afam III Fast Power Plant; a 240MW installed capacity plant comprising eight (8) trailer-mounted mobile gas turbines of 30MW each.

We all know how critical access to electricity is to the Nigerian economy. Robust, plentiful power, delivered across our country will be transformative.

Improved access to electricity yields life enhancing changes to our schools, hospitals, homes and industries. At @TranscorpGroup, we are transforming a vision into a reality. We do not only have the vision – but have turned that vision into reality.

Success does not always breed success!

The greatest enemy of leadership is living in one’s own bubble – thinking everything is going right – ignoring external perspectives, giving in to complacency. At the beginning of every year, I take time off to recalibrate and soul-search. I bring my team together, we reflect on our Group’s ambitions and the prerequisites for achieving them. The importance of people, of human capital, of culture, and how we work together often comes up.

Often, I am asked what achievement I am most proud of, and my answer is always the same – the sense of fulfilment I feel, when I interact with the beneficiaries of the @TonyElumeluFDN. Hearing their testimonies, successes and challenges, the impact that $5,000 has on their businesses, ideas, and communities – this gives me joy and excitement. When people ask what motivates me – this is it!

I am an example of success in Africa. There are a lot of opportunities on the continent, but capital is very difficult to come by. I come from a modest background and I have been able to grow multinational businesses from this modest background.

But I'm not the only one. There are a lot of other young Africans who are more energetic, equally intelligent, if not more intelligent, but access to capital is very difficult to come by in Africa.

When I first met @PreetiSinha_, Executive Secretary of
@UNCDF, I was struck immediately by her passion, enthusiasm and advocacy for youth and entrepreneurship – and I knew I had an ally and a friend.

Her mission is our mission, at the @TonyElumeluFDN. Months later, what started off as a shared, but distant, vision is being executed, as we convened on Monday in NY, to sign the African Youth Entrepreneurship Agreement - a partnership between TEF and @UNCDF; UN’s catalytic finance entity capacitise even more African entrepreneurs

This morning, I am listening to my colleagues at the office bemoan the very pressing issues that they face everyday in this country, and how things have been getting worse and worse - no electricity for 5 days, hikes in the price of diesel, frightening food inflation, etc. How can a country so rich in natural resources have 90% of its citizens living in hardship and poverty? I have often said that access to electricity is critical for our development, alleviation of poverty and hardship. And speaking of security, our people are afraid!

Africa is such a beautiful and blessed continent and we Africans are our greatest resource. I’ve always known and felt this... (a thread)

#StopXenophobia #SayNoToXenophobicAttacks #TOEWay As a young man when we started at Standard Trust Bank, banks were still focused on metropolitan areas but we wanted to give opportunity to everyone and create access to financial services for all around the country. So we left the city and we expanded all over Nigeria. (2)