Points from the TEF Q&A Session with President Macron

Last week Wednesday on 4^th of July, I was privileged to attend by invitation as a TEF Alumni, the interactive questions and answers session organised by the Tony Elumelu Foundation with President Macron of France.

Mr Tony Elumelu, the President of Tony Elumelu Foundation introduced President Macron as someone who has lived and worked in Nigeria in the past and hence not a stranger to the Country. The president is also very versed in Entrepreneurship and familiar with all the challenges and aspirations of Entrepreneurs and he has been working to support Entrepreneurship both in his Country France and in Africa.

Some of the points from Mr Tony Elumelu’s  opening speech are:

• Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship and those they support are the lifeblood of Africa and TEF is creating 10,000 Africa Entrepreneurs in 10 years, with 4,000 already created and 6,000 to go.
• The African Entrepreneurs are ready to succeed and they understand that their success is for the community.
• Africa needs to prioritise the youths, support and invest in their future.
• African youths need access to opportunities, such as like that of the TEF policy of democratisation of luck.
• We are not defined by the resources and the balance  of our Bank account but we are defined by the impact we made on humanity and the legacy we leave behind.

Three points Mr Tony Elumelu wants to make through the session:

• Important for African leaders to understand the power of the youth.
• For France and the rest of the world to know that there is a lot more about Africa than the Africa they used to know.
• Africa is a home of opportunities and we would like the world to see us as a Continent of opportunities.

Points from President Macron’s speech

The new narrative is for Africa to decide for Africa, explain about Africa and create its own model of Entrepreneurship and it own culture and explain to the rest of the world, not just to be part of globalisation where adjustments were always made despite of people. This new narratives is to be built now and it is the responsibilities of the Entrepreneurs and this is good for Africa and good for Europe. If Africa does not succeed, France and Europe will never succeed on the long run, due to the fact that Europe is not an island and all the migration crisis shows that we have a common destiny. Also, the Africa diaspora in France and Europe can not live and develop themselves and succeed in France or Europe if in their home Country people don’t succeed.

Three messages from President Macron to Africa

1. Entrepreneurship and innovation provides some answers because it is the best way to have access and responsibilities and to change everything for the young people, when they want to do it. Innovation is the best way to take part in the game of change as an outsider because it gives access to disrupt the insiders in order to be part of the game. Through innovation everyone can have a better life.
   • There is no cap to innovation except for what is in your mind.
   • Never ask for permission to do what you want to do, just do it.
   • If you believe in your innovation, make it feasible, create, dare and do it, right now.
2. Digital platform for Africa initiatives is being developed to connect people with ideas and innovation to scale them, connect with others with the same kind of ideas, improve ideas and innovations. Through this Digital Platform for Africa, start-ups in Africa can connect and work with large companies, Business Angels and more. This allows the established large companies to re-invent their brand and model in Africa, creating opportunities for young people.
3. Private Sector can offer a better access to people more than political life. To get access to responsibility for a better life and a happy family, you will need access to the private sector. The best way is, by African Business people for African people to change the Continent and Countries and to make it for people. Instead of for foreign Business with foreign Business, despite the people. The unique way to succeed is to have a strong private sector on the ground being developed here for inclusive growth, natural and sustainable growth to create middle classes, who buy products that will allow all African players to develop their Businesses and create new Businesses, which is the only way to sustainable political life.
   When people have access to job and better life, its is more inclusive than political life and is a part of African success. As a result another initiative is being launched by investing one Billion Euro in the private sector by the French Development Agency as part of Digital Platform for Africa. With lots of African and Europe Business players to build the platform, develop and accelerate private sectors in Africa.

Some of the Questions asked are:

• Is Global Trade Dead a we know it?
• Would European market be opened to Africa?
• Advice for young emerging leaders who wants to make a difference locally and globally?
• France’s practical approach to the immigration crisis in Europe?
• How the President leverage his private sector experience in the public sector?
• His greatest success and failure.

Some of the points noted from his answers are:

• More Africans need to succeed in Africa and more European people need to have positive view about Africa.
• There is a need for a win-win game in globalisation.
• The new generation of trade development should be more respective of social and environmental issues.
• New trade opportunities will not be allowed if taking opportunities exclude taking care of the people.
• Your nationality is not a part of your ability to succeed except it is in your mind.
• What is good for Africa is to have their own role model.

When asked to advise young emerging leaders:

• No advice, instead take a risk.
• There is no model to success, there is no success without taking a risk.
• Never stop at first failure.
• When you try, you fail but always learn from your own failure.
• The job of the Government and Business Angels is to reduce the cost of failure but you must accept to fail.
• Never believe that your success can just be your success alone.
• Have an inclusive vision.
• A vision that is not sustainable for all surrounding you is a mistake.

Points from his answer on the immigration crisis. He touched on:

• Asylum seekers versus Economic migrants.
• Demography.
• Education for everyone and Girls Education.
• 10 times investment in Girls Education in Africa.
• Economic and Business opportunities
• Involvement of private sector.
• Hope and Economic opportunities at home to reduce the wave of migration.

Conclusion.

It was a real privilege to be present at the event to hear first hand the speech of the President with opportunity to ask my own question, if I could. Of course, I didn’t get to ask my question,  but in a way, some of the areas of the questions I had were touched in his answers. I liked the way he analysed the immigration crisis and his proposed solutions. He pointed out that migration is a global phenomenon that has always existed, hence not a crisis. He made distinction between Asylum seekers who need to be protected and the economic migrants who put pressure on the host country and hence need to be managed appropriately. He linked the wave of migration to lack of hope and economic opportunities at home, the need for Education and aspirations among the youths for them to embark on such a precarious journey. Most importantly, the solutions he brought to the table which involves investment in Education, private sector and the Digital platform for Africa initiatives, Entrepreneurship and the new narratives for Africa. Finally, the point that resonate with me the most is when he said “Never ask for permission to do what you want to do, just do it”. Asking for permission means seeking for approval, such approval may never come and when you subject yourself to other’s approval, you put a limit on yourself and what you can do and achieve.