Research Seminar: “A Study on Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs in Four African Countries” with Luc-Yaovi Kouassi and Terhemen Agabo

Location: IFRA-Nigeria’s library, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan

Date: Thursday 14^th of November, 2pm to 5pm

On Thursday 14^th of November, from 2 to 5pm, IFRA-Nigeria hosted a research seminar at IFRA-Nigeria’s library themed on “a Study of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs in four African Countries” by Luc-Yaovi Kouassi and Terhemen Agabo.

About the programme "Supporting Entrepreneurship in Africa

This research emerged “Supporting Entrepreneurship in Africa” a collaborative research between the French Agency for Development (AFD), French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA-Nigeria) and Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). Beginning in 2015, the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) is a philanthropic initiative launched by the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which goal is to identify and empower young African entrepreneurs. The research aims at studying the impact of the programme in four targeted countries, namely Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroun and Côte d’Ivoire.

All information about the research programme are available here.

Luc-Yaovi Kouassi is a master student in Political science at Paris 1 Sorbonne (France), while Terhemen Agabo is a master student in Economics at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria).

A visit of a rural entrepreneur in a farm in Nakuru, Kenya © Terhemen Agabo, June 2019

A rattan workshop in Yaoundé, Cameroon © Luc-Yaovi Kouassi, May 2019

Presentation of the findings

First the two discussants presented the findings of their fieldwork in Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Ivory Coast and discussed methodologies.

• Luc-Yaovi Kouassi looked at the social trajectories of the so-called “new generation of African entrepreneurs” promoted by the TEF in order to confront them to the ideal type of “politician-entrepreneurs” who had been described as the dominant players in the different African national economics’ fields since independence.
• Terhemen Agabo unveiled the economic impact of the entrepreneurs in selected rural communities within the study areas.

After short presentations, there was room for fellows interested in that topic, to discuss their findings and analysis, as well as to give them some constructive feedbacks for the project.

 

Discussion on the challenges and opportunities of working with different (public and private) partners

Finally, the two students as well as the coordinators of the project launched a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of working with different (public and private) partners, including ethical and epistemological ones.

15 students doing their Master or PhD at University of Ibadan, and interested in the issues related to entrepreneurship, participated to this seminar.