Tony Elumelu Responds as Entrepreneur Asks If He Will Ever Run for President
Business leader Tony Elumelu has answered a question about whether he will ever run for president of Nigeria. A young entrepreneur posed the question at a Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) event. Elumelu did not give a direct yes or no. Instead, he said not everyone can become president and urged Nigerians to support those in office.
Ade Inka, founder of the indigenous coffee brand Happy Coffee, asked the question. She introduced herself as one of the first 1,000 entrepreneurs the foundation funded across Africa. Moreover, she said she received $5,000 in seed funding from the TEF in 2015. “I won as an idea,” she told the audience.
Inka then described how far her business has travelled. According to her, Happy Coffee has sourced locally grown coffee from the Mambila Plateau for nine years. “We have built an industry,” she said. Furthermore, she claimed she has built a multi-billion dollar business from that seed capital. Sojworldnews could not independently verify that figure.
Inka also holds major leadership roles in the sector. Two years ago, members elected her the first national president of Women in Coffee in Nigeria. In addition, she leads the women in coffee group across Africa. “I applied as a young Nigerian and I got selected,” she said. Then she turned to her question. “I know many young alumni would like to know, would you ever run for the office of the president of Nigeria?” she asked.
Elumelu began with warm congratulations. “We are very proud of you at the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Nigeria is proud of you. And Africa is also proud of you,” he said. He told her to keep going and insisted that failure is not an option. Besides, he described entrepreneurs like her as the inspiration behind the foundation’s work.
He also stressed that her success reaches beyond her own household. In his view, it benefits her family, her community, and all aspiring young African entrepreneurs, especially women. Therefore, he urged her to keep succeeding from the non-refundable $5,000 capital she received.
Then Elumelu addressed the question itself. “Let’s say all of us cannot be presidents,” he said. “So let’s support.” He explained that Nigerians can help the country by backing those in office and sharing ideas on how to make Nigeria and Africa better. “We are strong on advocacy,” he added.
Elumelu then linked his answer to the foundation’s philosophy of Africapitalism. According to him, the TEF supports an approach in which the private sector stands up and plays its own role in developing Africa. Consequently, he presented business and advocacy, rather than a political campaign, as his chosen ways of contributing.
Notably, the response left the question open. Elumelu neither ruled out a presidential bid nor confirmed one. Instead, he steered the conversation toward support for government and private sector leadership. In the clip, he announced no plan to contest any election, and he made no promise about the future.
Still, the exchange shows how the foundation’s alumni view their mentor. Many of them clearly see Elumelu as a leader whose influence could extend beyond business. Meanwhile, his answer suggests he prefers to pursue that influence through the foundation and its advocacy work. Whether the question about Tony Elumelu running for president returns later remains to be seen.
Sojworldnews will update this report if Elumelu makes further comments on the subject.
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