Tony Elumelu: Breaking Glass Ceilings With the Force of Determination

Tony Elumelu’s beginnings were small and humble. Beginning his career as a copier salesman, Elumelu always attributed his success as one of the richest men in Africa to ‘hard work, resilience, a long-term vision - but also luck.”

In 1985, Elumelu started his career in Union Bank as a Youth Corp member of the National Youth Service Corps. Although unqualified for a role advertised by Allstates Trust Bank in his early years, Elumelu was hired following an impressive show of competence and repaid the faith of his then-employers, becoming the youngest bank branch manager at the time.

“His grass to grace story, his inimitable style, his deft business moves, his outstanding philanthropy, his unmistakable humility, his business exploits…endear him to me.” as penned by veteran journalist, Azuh Arinze, who, in his new book Encounters – Lessons From My Journalism Career, recounted the spellbinding aura Tony Elumelu exuded.

In his early career, Elumelu acquired Standard Trust Bank in 2005 and acquired United Bank for Africa (UBA) afterward. Today, UBA is an established pan-African bank with ties to Europe and the US.

Currently, it serves over 7 million customers in 19 countries. A natural economist, Elumelu founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an African non-governmental organization whose mission is geared towards improving Africa’s economy by empowering its private sectors. Each year, the foundation trains and awards 10,000 dollars each to 1,000 budding entrepreneurs.

Tony Elumelu is featured in Azuh Arinze’s Encounters – Lessons From My Journalism Career, which chronicles the experiences of the author throughout his career. Through this book, Azuh Arinze allows readers to examine 20 years’ worth of journalistic experience in 60 captivating chapters, highlighting some of his encounters with industry heavyweights.